Latest news with #Grant Buckley
The Australian
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Australian
Shayne O'Cass's Tamworth, Taree tips: Friday, August 15, 2025
Form analyst Shayne O'Cass provides his best bets and race-by-race analysis for Tamworth and Taree on Friday. • 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! ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ TAMWORTH TIPS BEST BET Race 3 No.11 OAKFIELD VIRGINIA: Blue-blood filly who placed in a deep trial at Gosford last month. NEXT BEST Race 7 No.6 OCCULT: Has got Country Championships contender written all over him. VALUE Race 1 No.1 GREAT COSMIC: Local gelding who has trialled up nicely ahead of the debut. QUADDIE Race 5: 3,5,7,11 Race 6: 4,5,10 Race 7: 6 Race 8: 1,2,6,12 JOCKEY TO FOLLOW Grant 'Bucko' Buckley will be popular in the TAB Jockeys Challenge TAMWORTH INSIDE MAIL RACE 5: Benchmark 58 (1600m) CROATIAN MADAME (11) has been nominated for other venues so is not a guaranteed starter. On top if she comes otherwise all roads lead to BIG SHORT (5), who is trained locally by this year's Grafton Guineas winning conditioner Wayne Brown. Big Short's three wins are from 1000m to 1200m but he has placed four times from right 1600m runs. SUIT DAY (3) has only managed two wins from 20 starts but he has placed nine times. Best of all, he is a win and a third from four Tamworth visits. BET: BIG SHORT (5) each-way. RACE 6: Class 1 Handicap (1400m) RELEASE POINT (4) was an impressive debut winner at Narromine in late April, 2024. The Rodney Northam trained gelding hasn't won again since but he has finished second, four times, in those subsequent nine starts. Been competitive in better races and gets Aaron Bullock. HINUNE (5) has accepted for Bathurst Monday. Big chance wherever she goes. CRUSADER RAZOR (10) has drawn wide but will come in plenty with the scratchings! Beaten 3-lengths by a good horse (Bonnie And Bruce) at Bathurst last time. BET: RELEASE POINT (4) to win, CRUSADER RAZOR (10) to place, Daily Double 1st Leg 4, 2nd Leg 1. RACE 7: Class 3 Handicap (1200m) OCCULT (6) was $1.24 into $1.12 when he made his Cody Morgan stable debut here on June 27 and won accordingly. One can only assume that he was bought (off Godolphin) with the Country Championships in mind and London to a Brick-on, he'll be in the Heat if they want him to go that way. OENOLOGY (3) has a wide draw and is first-up but he's a pretty reliable horse. TOUGH GUY (5) (Bullock's ride) is on such a rapid, upward trajectory. So too NIMBLE STAR (2) who has won 3 from 4 and lost the rider at the other. BET: OCCULT (6) to win, box trifecta 2,3,5,6. RACE 8: Benchmark 58 (1000m) SPIRIT OF PLUTO (1) has won five times with eight placings from 32 starts. He has placed twice here, twice at the distance and twice first-up. He was on a hat-trick prior to a creditable effort in the Newmarket at Armidale. gets 'in' okay now after the claim. THE AFFIRMATIVE (12) has a really compelling set of numbers right across the board apart, maybe, by her first-up stats. The Anthony Manton-owned, Craig Clegg-trained local races well here at home but was dealt the visitor's draw! Can imagine LA PELAGO (6) making full use of the inside draw. BET: SPIRIT OF PLUTO (1) each-way. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ TAREE TIPS BEST BET Race 2 No.3 LYKOS: Big run with no luck on debut at Tuncurry on the Heavy 8. NEXT BEST Race 4 No.7 SHALAMIYNA: Beat a decent Maiden field here on a Heavy 9. VALUE Race 7 No.7 THE YOUNG YEARS: Her 'best' is good enough to give some cheek in the right Highway. TAREE INSIDE MAIL RACE 5: Benchmark 82 (1007m) BUCK PHAROAH (5) gets the conditions to suit, big time, on Friday keeping in mind that his record on the Heavy going is nine starts for four wins and three placings. Four of his six career wins are circa this short trip and he races well at Taree. Nine of ZOE SHARK (3)'s last 11 starts have been at her home track at Newcastle. She's won two of them and one of those she beat Dark Glitter no less. LADY TULESSA (6) has nine wins on her resume which is not easy too in any era let alone in the Benchmark system. BET: BUCK PHAROAH (5) to win. RACE 6: Class 1 Handicap (1007m) VEECEE (1), the $750,000 Gold Coast yearling in 2022, sold online in 2024, has got lengths on these. In fact, I would be happy to back him in most Highways BUT with that said, I am not sure about him on really wet tracks. GOT THE SMARTS (5) has accepted for Ballina on Monday but drew poorly (13) as opposed to (2) here. She is a 6YO with just nine starts under her belt but she is loaded with talent. There is a scenario where both are absent which could pave the way for the Paul Snowden-trained CASH AND CARDS (2). BET: CASH AND CARDS (2) to place. RACE 7: Class 2 Handicap (1412m) THE YOUNG YEARS (7) is one of those horses whose 'best' is good enough to win most races that she runs in, even a Highway if things really fell into her lap that is. She goes well enough at Taree, she goes particularly well on Heavy tracks and has run okay in some rather strong 58's of late. HYPOTHERMIA (6) ran way above his $41 SP when fifth, beaten a diminishing three-lengths, in a 58 at Grafton last start. Both wins were on Soft. KAYZ TIME (1) has Sammy Conquers All and Bodhi Boy form. BET: THE YOUNG YEARS (7) each-way. RACE 8: Hopkins Livermore Cup (Open Handicap, 1412m) OSTRACISED (4) is racing so well this prep. For the record, he is '822117'. That last run was in the Coffs Harbour Cup. He wasn't great by any stretch but this is more his go on Friday. Two things weigh heavily in his favour IMHO, one is back to 1412m and the other is that he is a muddie par excellence. LEASE (8) commemorated his 50th career start with a win and what a determined win it was too from a horse who has a distinct preference for wet tracks. BET: OSTRACISED (4) to win, quinella 4,8.
The Australian
19-07-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Gosford preview: Sneaky Choice aims for repeat victory
Trainer Brad Widdup is hoping history repeats for pint-sized filly Sneaky Choice. Widdup sent Sneaky Choice to Gosford for a 1000m race on debut and the daughter of Extreme Choice tracked the leader before running down Miss Judas to score by three-quarters of a length. Spelled after a sixth at Goulburn, Sneaky Choice returns to the Central Coast for the TEG Tradies Day 29 August 2025 Class 1 Handicap over the 1000m. Jockey Grant Buckley, who was aboard for her debut win, will again partner the three-year-old. 'She is only very little but she did a really good job to win on debut,' said Widdup. 'Where going back to where she won and hopefully she can do it again. Trainer Brad Widdup is chasing a two-year-old win with You're The Choice. Picture: Grant Guy The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here! 'She's only had the one trial this time in so she is obviously open to improvement but I thought this was a good starting point for her.' Widdup is hoping well-bred filly You're The Choice can claim a late season two-year-old win and a BOBS bonus when she resumes in the Central Coast Locksmiths Provincial Maiden Plate (1000m) where she has drawn barrier 6 with apprentice Mitch Stapleford aboard. The two-year-old made her debut at Newcastle over 900m back on February 15 where she finished a head second behind Frostfire. She then took a big jump in grade when Widdup sent her out in the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes at Randwick. After racing keenly she finished down the order behind Within The Law. 'She was quite good on debut so we gave her a run in the Sweet Embrace,' Widdup said. 'She is a nice filly and has come back in good order this preparation. 'I expect her to run well first-up from a good draw.' A two-year-old win will increase her future broodmare value. The filly is a daughter of Golden Slipper Farnan from a half-sister to Group 1 Blue Diamond winner and top sire, Extreme Choice. Widdup also has Gladstone Grande in the same race but will likely save him for Maiden Plate at Hawkesbury the following day. The gelding has only had one run, in the Kirkham Plate at Randwick on October 26 where he was last of the six runners behind Comedy. 'I will likely split them up,' he said 'Even though he has drawn worse at Hawkesbury he will probably go there. 'I had a throw at the stumps in the Kirkham. I may not have been the right thing but it gave him some experience. 'He is still mentally immature but I have been happy enough with him in his trial. 'If the brings that to the races, he should be competitive.' Widdup also has two options with the promising Tequisoda this weekend – Gosford and Hawkesbury. The two-year-old is entered for the Consolidated Panels & Veneers 2&3YO Maiden Plate (1600m) at Gosford and a Maiden Plate at Hawkesbury over 1500m. 'He will likely go around at Hawkesbury on Sunday but I will wait until I see if there are any scratchings at Gosford,' Widdup said. 'If it ends up a small field, he may head that way.' The son of Pierro was gallant in defeat on debut over 1300m at Wyong where he finished a length-and-the-quarter second behind Sapling who is one of the favourites in the opening race at Rosehill. 'He ran enormous on debut,' he said. 'He was a smidgen slow out but then he got a buffeted and settled a fair way off the leader. 'That's not ideal for a horse having its first start so he did a very good job to finish as close as he did.'
