Race-by-race preview and tips for Monday meeting at Warren
Race 1
3. Wolf Club draws the inside and can go back to back, stepping up in trip from a tough CL1 win 13 days ago. Hard fit for this, gets a soft run on or near the speed and further boosted with the early favourite being preferred at Sunday's Muswellbrook meeting. 4. Sian is over the odds coming off a dominant and last-start BM 58 win well into the prep. 7. Hideyo was given little or no chance last start, held up and shuffled back behind the former, but did finish off well when clear late. 1. Yak another last start winner in BM 58 grade over a similar trip, and 6. Instead, who has been in and around the money all prep can both figure in the money.
How to play it: Wolf Club to win
Race 2
13. Spring Prospect is a lightly raced filly drawn to get the right run inside, and strike at just her third start. Was backed from $3.50 to $3.20 ahead of a solid effort at Parkes, and extra fitness can get her home. 14. Sneaky Pee Cee is a two-year-old debutante by Winning Rupert, and a big market watch behind a steady trial. 4. London Boy is an improver back on firmer ground, and also draws to get a sound run just off the speed. At bigger odds, keep safe 12. Saint Philomena getting on to a much preferred bigger track second-up. 11. Miss Rovilea is a four-year-old mare by Kobayashi also having her first start off a quiet trial.
How to play it: Spring Prospect to win
Race 3
14. The Git Up is an underrated and still improving mare who can launch third-up over 100m further at good odds after being given a torrid run at Wellington three weeks back. Drawn to get a lovely camp behind the speed in what is an open and wide race, and a superior and stronger jockey takes over. 10. Matilda Of Tuscany is also well-placed, improving into her third start over more ground. Must include 8. Down The Kooka, who can figure getting back on to better ground second-up, also from a handy trailing draw. 12. Fetes Des Meres has to tuck in from a wide barrier, but she gets the blinkers back on a month between runs, and having her first start in NSW. 7. Twining Class and 13. I Don't Think So can both add value into trifecta and first four plays.
How to play it: The Git Up to win
Race 4
5. Miss You So is a lightly raced and improving three-year-old in the Rodney Northam stable at Scone who is searching for further second-up. Will ultimately be better over a longer trip, but will relish getting back onto a much bigger track, and with decent speed on, only needs a clear crack at them from the 350m mark. 17. Matilda Of Tuscany is first reserve here, and likely to start in the previous race, although is suited up in trip third-up. 1. Carrick draws to get a soft run over a furlong further, but still needs to improve. 9. Bold Bender is very fit deep into the prep, while 14. Withania has beaten all but the winner in her last two, but more depth in this. 13. Winning Reign heads the rest.
How to play it: Miss You So win

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6 days ago
- News.com.au
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The Australian
28-07-2025
- The Australian
Wellington preview: Trainer David Smith to lock in a few winners
Mudgee trainer David Smith will be chasing a potential Big Dance slot with last year's Little Dance participant Lockdown Gamble when Forbes host its annual Cup meeting this Sunday. Smith's son of Casino Prince, who won last year's Wellington Cup, will be among a capacity field in this weekend's fixture where the $50,000 purse is dwarfed by the additional spoils of Big Dance Eligibility. Before all that, Smith has three of Lockdown Gamble's stablemates – Bottom Bar, Spring Prospect and Painite – to saddle-up at the final Central West meeting in New South Wales for the 2024/25 season. As his past presence on the first Tuesday in November shows, Smith is no stranger to the big stage and could be on one again as soon as three weeks from now. All going well, Smith aims to add another Highway to his tally via Spring Prospect who is being considered for the 1100m country-only feature on the Winx Stakes undercard at Royal Randwick. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'She's a horse on the up,'' Smith said. 'She has taken a lot of confidence out of that win at Warren. She thinks she's Queen Bee now and hopefully that transfers to (Tuesday). 'She'll love the wet track, the wetter the better for her, but it is probably a touch awkward draw for her but I expect a few scratchings to come out which would be to her benefit. 'Hopefully Zoe (Hunt) can just park her in behind the speed, one off the fence, and with the confidence she has taken now, she is a horse on a real upward spiral so I'd be sticking with her.' Stablemate Bottom Bar will have to turn a last into a first if he is to win the Grand Hotel Benchmark 58 Handicap (900m) but it's hardly mission impossible according to his trainer. 'He was probably a touch underdone first-up off the back of just the one trial after a ten-month break,'' Smith reported. 'He had a massive blow afterwards. I thought the run was pretty good. He just came a little bit too wide around the home turn and ended up in the worst part of the track but I thought he did well to battle on to be beaten two and a half lengths. 'He loves the wet. He has only had one start for me on a heavy track and he only just went under when he ran third at Tamworth by the bob of a head so he'll relish the conditions.' Smith has proven himself to be as good as any and better than most at letting his fingers doing the walking with a string of online purchases that have turned into bargains. 'Exhibit A' could well be the former High Street resident Painite whom he secured for just $800 in May 2023. Since then, the distant relative of 1983 Adelaide Cup winner Ideal Centreman has banked nigh on $50,000 with the promise of more to come. 'She has a nasty habit in the barriers and she just stepped away a bit dodgy but to get back and run home the way she did around that Cowra track was pretty impressive,'' Smith said. 'All three of my horses will love the wet. It was heavy there at Cowra that day so there is absolutely no problem there. 'The only question mark with her on Tuesday, is she's got to step clean, and if she can do that, I think it brings her right into it, especially on a Heavy track.'