Moruya tips, inside mail and preview for Sunday, August 17, 2025

News.com.au

a day ago

Progressive staying mare Think I Do has been given the proverbial 'Bart Cummings preparation' leading into Sunday's Lake Conjola Bowling Club Handicap (2010m) which is only fitting given her close connection to the Cups King.
The JJR Racing-housed mare is by Cummings' dual Cox Plate winner So You Think out a mare named Karata.
She (Karata) was the final foal delivered by Let's Elope, one of Cummings' 13 Melbourne Cup winners whose show reel also included the Caulfield Cup, Australian Cup and Mackinnon Stakes.
Think I Do has been on an upward trajectory her whole racing life with each one of her six starts being a little, or in some cases, a lot better than the last.
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So much so that the Barbara Joseph, Paul and Matt Jones-trained four-year-old is unlucky not to be on a hat-trick heading into Sunday's 10-furlong assignment having been beaten a nose prior to her commanding maiden win at Forbes on the Cup day undercard.
'She's got brothers and half-brothers running around over the hurdles in Victoria but she has always shown she has got a little bit more of speed about her but I always knew she would stay,'' co-trainer Paul Jones said.
'It was very good to see her put two really good runs together and I think if this track is going to be playing deep and wide, they are going to know she's in the race.'
Team Joseph/Jones are taking another of their Canberra equine lodgers to Moruya this weekend, Graceful Ellen who, like her aforementioned stablemate, is a last-start winner.
In Graceful Ellen's case, it was in a Class 2 at the Sapphire Coast where she burst clear of her five rivals to win by the best part of two lengths, prompting a nomination for Saturday's TAB Highway at Rosehill (which she was balloted out of).
'I think she has earnt her colours to have a go (but) she was one or two Benchmark points below making the field on what was obviously quite a strong Highway,'' Jones said.
'It was a very good win at the Sapphire Coast, in fact it was one of the better wins on the day, the way she ran up to them and ran away.
'She's always been a smart little filly who has shown us just enough and as she has got stronger, we're very happy with what he has done.'
Graceful Ellen's current earnings top $60,000, or 10 times her purchase price at the 2023 Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
'This skinny little scrawny chestnut walked in with a neck on her like a giraffe,'' Jones recalled.
'I think they started the bidding off at $2000 and Mum (Barbara Joseph) put her hand up and it got knocked down to her for $6000.'
Graceful Ellen was a member of the third and ultimately second to last crop of foals sired by the barnstorming sprinter Spieth.
Her dam Hennessy Rock was a handy filly in her time, her career highlight coming at her third career start when she clocked in fourth in the Listed TRC Elwick Stakes in Hobart on the 2014 Tasmanian Derby day.
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MORUYA TIPS
BEST BET
Race 1 No.3: PERFORMING DIVA
Hasn't run a bad race yet; this one looks like it is her reward for effort.
NEXT BEST
Race 5 No.12: THINK I DO
So You Think granddaughter of Let's Elope who is crying out for the 2010m now.
VALUE BET
Race 4 No.1: BOBS BACK
Should feel comfortable in this grade of race. Trialled well.
QUADDIE
Race 4: 1, 4, 5
Race 5: 3, 12
Race 6: 2, 5, 6, 8, 10
Race 7: 6, 7, 9
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
QUAYDE KROGH has enough horse power to figure in the Jockeys Challenge outcome.
MORUYA INSIDE MAIL
PERFORMING DIVA (3) has a second placing either side of two fourths, the last one was here at Moruya when she was first-up on the Heavy 8. The Pat Murphy-trained daughter of Breeders' Plate and Canonbury Stakes winner Performer kept to the task honourably that day. Drawn one so can expect her to be very prominent indeed throughout. WRITTEN BY LUCY (4) likewise is yet to run a bad race in her short career thus far. In fact, she has taken part in two incredibly strong maidens, both back in March.
BET: PERFORMING DIVA to win, exacta 3 to beat 4.
VERMICELLA (4) is a Gerry Harvey-owned and bred mare by Pierro from his own (great) St Kate female line. It has to be said that Joe Cleary has done an awesome job with this mare, a fact reflected in her record of four wins and three placings from nine runs. On top of that, her numbers at Moruya are fabulous. TOES IN THE WATER (1) has the highest benchmark rating of any horse racing at Moruya – 79. He is '889' coming into this but two were on the Kensington, the other one at Kembla. Going better than it looks on paper.
BET: VERMICELLA to win.
RACE 3: MAIDEN PLATE (1660m)
FEEDBACK (4) is another Harvey/Cleary (and jockey Quayde Krogh) runner on the card. This one is a gelding by Kermadec whose last three, of a total of six career starts, are for Cleary and they are all thirds. What appeals most is the respective winners of those races – Sweet About Me, Brutal Eyes and Sawmill (here, on August 5). BRUME DE SOLIEL (16) has looked like a miler pretty much every one of his three starts this time in. He was $14 into $10 last start here, for good reason, and ran on especially well in that 1310m maiden.
BET: FEEDBACK to win, Brume De Soliel each-way.
BOBS BACK (1) is a Kerry Parker-trained son of Hallowed Crown who was unplaced in his four runs at his opening preparation from February to March but he clocked in '6544' across that time so was hard poor. In fact, to his credit, he got better with each run. He has clearly come back even better again judged on his narrow but impressive trial win at Kembla on Aug 8. Mitch Beer's blue blood KING NIC (4) won a heat that same day and bolted in actually. This is one horse who won't be a maiden for long!
BET: BOBS BACK each-way, quinella 1,4
RACE 5: BENCHMARK 58 HANDICAP (2010m)
THINK I DO (12) is an exciting and worthwhile 1600m/2000m, maybe more, prospect for the Joseph/Jones barn. First off, look at the breeding! She is by So You Think out of an Elvstroem daughter of Let's Elope! Think I Do is probably a bit unlucky not to be on a hat-track coming into this having been beaten a nose prior to what was a very decisive win at Forbes on Cup day. COSMOS FACTORY (3) was midfield in a Kembla 64 on July 26. He's drawn three with the claim. He'll run this trip right out. Goofinator is galloping towards a win.
BET: THINK I DO to win, exacta 12 to beat 3, box trifecta 3,6,7,12, DD 1st Leg 12, 2nd Leg 9.
HOLD (8) was scheduled to race at Kembla on Saturday but the meeting was washed out. The mere fact that trainer John Nisbet was going to take on provincial grade with the mare says a lot about how she must be going. She has a very, very good fresh record, all three wins have come first-up. Handles the soft/heavy. PRETTY SASSY (6) likewise was down to race at Kembla. Speaking of fresh records, Pretty Sassy is two from two first-up. Pleasurize meanwhile is two from two – period!
BLUE BAYOU (9) wears the colours of his Sir Rupert Clarke-winning uncle Rebel Dane, aka the father of Golden Slipper winner, Fireburn. This Laurel Oak mare has finished runner-up at each of her two starts this preparation, one by less than a neck, the other by a nose. Important to note that both of them were at Moruya. You wouldn't see too many more emphatic wins than that of Graceful Ellen at the Sapphire Coast on July 27. BROOKLYN LIGHTS (7), HELLINDA (3) and BEAUTY DASH (10) all have claims.