Latest news with #Keagan Latham
News.com.au
06-08-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Black Bugatti revved up to end ‘frustrating' wait for breakthrough win at Kembla Grange
Trainer Gary Portelli is wary of unleashing stakes performer Encap on a heavy track in Saturday's Group 2 Missile Stakes but it won't stop him from taking a trio of chances to Kembla Grange on Thursday. Portelli will head south of his Warwick Farm base chasing a breakthrough success with Black Bugatti while three-year-old first starters Celestial Grace and Crystal Conspiracy join him on the float. Black Bugatti has made a consistent, albeit frustrating, start to his career with five placings from 12 starts and can break his duck in the Snap Printing Wollongong Maiden Plate (2000m). A $6.50 contender, Black Bugatti comes into the assignment a touch over three weeks between runs after runner-up last start at Newcastle. 'A meeting got called off last week so Black Bugatti so that's the reason he is three weeks between runs when he was meant to go to Newcastle,' Portelli said. 'It's frustrating. He has been thereabouts. 'He is not really that good on the wet but you can't leave him in his box any longer.' Celestial Grace ($16) and Crystal Conspiracy ($12) are both stepping out for the first time in the Keagan Latham Champion Jockey Maiden (1000m) and have been set a task to beat heavy odds-on favourite Savvy Hallie ($1.45 fav). Crystal Conspiracy, to be ridden by Keagan Latham, has only had the one public trial where she was third in a 819m heat on home turf while Celestial Grace was also third in her most recent hitout. 'Both of them have been trialling OK,' Portelli said. 'Crystal Conspiracy had a jumpout and trialled good and the other filly Celestial Grace, I trained her mother and see is by Deep Field so would think she is going to handle the wet. 'Both horses are fit and ready to go and have been on the wet so they will get their chance.' Portelli has had a quiet first week of the new season, however it's set to go up a notch over the next few days with a string of promising horses trialling for the stable on Friday at Warwick Farm. He's also hoping to see Doncaster Mile placegetter Encap make his return in the Group 2 $300,000 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick. Encap is one of 10 acceptors for the first stakes race of the season and is a $17 chance to score in his first run since April. But Portelli isn't keen to flatten Encap first-up if track conditions remain in the heavy range. 'I am concerned about the weather and I am not keen to run him first-up on a heavy track, that's for sure,' Portelli said. 'We will be watching it closely and there is always the option of waiting for two weeks' time.' A date with the Epsom Handicap is among the options for Encap this spring but Portelli's main goal is to first get another win on the board for his consistent son of Capitalist. 'Something like the Epsom but could be on the cards for him later this spring but we haven't targeted anything with him at the moment. 'I wanted to get him in early like we've done and try to pick up a nice race before all the proper Group 1 horses resume but unfortunately the weather has thrown a curve ball at me. 'We will try to pick the right races for him that we can win because he hasn't run for a while so my job is trying to put him in a race that he can win.' â– â– â– â– â– Muswellbrook trainer Ben Blay will look to NSW country racing's most dominant riding force to help deliver his stable a red letter day at Tamworth on Thursday. Blay will saddle up three chances – Nugget Smart, Great Idea and Be Guided - at the country meeting with the trio all set to be ridden by NSW premiership winning hoop Aaron Bullock. Blay and Bullock are yet to taste success together in 12 previous attempts but the trainer is hoping his stable is in prime position to come away with a result. 'It's the best hand I've had at the races for a while,' Blay said. 'The fact that I have Aaron on as well just adds to it so I feel like we are going there with good chances.' Great Idea was a winner at Tamworth at his most recent visit when the son of So You Think did his best work late to score over 1200m. He gets the chance to back up the success in the Shay Brennan Constructions Benchmark 58 Handicap (1400m). 'Great Idea is coming from a maiden but he is probably the most talented of the three,' Blay said. 'I am pretty confident for him to keep improving.' Be Guided actually made her debut in the same event Great Idea prevailed in and gave a reasonable account of herself, finishing third. She will be one of the chances in the Benson Excavation Maiden Handicap (1200m. 'Be Guided has been shin sore four times and it's been an effort to get her to the races,' Blay said. 'The owners have been so patient. I think it's been two years since we bought her. 'Her last trial and that race, she just improved out of sight and I think she should do really well.' Nugget Smart has run third in three of her six starts to date, including at her last start on home turf over 1280m. The homebred mare has drawn well for her latest assignment where she steps up in trip for the Kel Penfold Finance Maiden Plate (1400m). 'We always thought he was pretty good and a 1000m horse but just riding him a bit quiet, he will get a bit of ground,' Blay said. 'As we know, the Bon Hoffa's are the NSW country trainers best friends so hopefully we keep him at 1400m or so he goes alright.'
The Australian
01-08-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Coffs Harbour, Kembla Grange best bets, inside mail for Friday, August 1, 2025
Racenet and The Daily Telegraph form analyst Shayne O'Cass provides his best bets and race-by-race analysis for Coffs Harbour and best bets for Kembla Grange 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! COFFS HARBOUR BEST BET Race 2 No. 3: PIEDI VELOCI Has the talent but needs to execute and he'll make the grade. NEXT BEST Race 4 No.1 2: HEAD OF THE RIVER Debuts off a series of truly outstanding trials. VALUE Race 3 No. 4: TWIGMAN Ran in the Australian Derby as a three-year-old. Won two starts ago. QUADDIE Race 5: 2, 6, 11, 13 Race 6: 4, 5, 9 Race 7: 1, 7, 13 Race 8: 7, 8, 14 Aaron Bullock looks set for a good day at Coffs Harbour. Picture: Getty Images JOCKEY TO FOLLOW AARON BULLOCK starts his defence of his 2024/25 Statewide Jockey Premiership title. KEMBLA GRANGE BEST BET Race 7 No. 3: MR ROCK IT Has all the numbers to ensure back-to-back Kembla wins. NEXT BEST Race 6 No. 1: BILLUND Superbly bred Team Hawkes gelding who trials well. VALUE Race 1 No. 4: POUR BENN Ace High son in the same stable as the former VRC Derby winner. Has scope. QUADDIE Race 5: 1,2,3,4 Race 6: 1,2,6,12 Race 7: 3,5,8 Race 8: 2,10,11,13 JOCKEY TO FOLLOW KEAGAN LATHAM was a tearaway winner of his fifth Provincial Jockeys crown in 2024/25. LAY OF THE DAY Kembla Race 1 No. ZELJKO OMSIDE MAIL — COFFS HARBOUR RACE 1: Coffs Asphalt Showcase (Bm74) 1000m ZOOM OUTCOME (4) is a great advertisement for his Tuncurry based trainer Joseph Burges. The horse has won three of his past six starts and was second at another. His overall record is six wins and five placings, four of them seconds. Has accepted for Newcastle, where it is his preferred Heavy surface. Assuming he is absent, all roads lead back to the stablemate MARKWELL DREAMER (1) who is one for one here and is blissfully happy on Soft going. Bet: Zoom Outcome to win or if scratched Markwell Dreamer to win ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ RACE 2: Rob Young Country Boosted Showcase Mdn Plate 1400m PIEDI VELOCI (3) is a rather promising horse from the local Donna Grisedale barn. The long and the short of this son of Supido's story so far is that he is indeed talented but he is quite raw and is prone to beating himself. If and when he can execute, he'll rocket through the grades. IMPENDING FORTUNE (2) has drawn very well indeed and just could be better equipped or given a better lead-in to the 1400m. OL' MATE COOP (13) is costly but ultra-consistent. Bet: Piedi Veloci to win ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ RACE 3: Driscoll's Australia Ken Howard Showcase Cup 2000m TWIGMAN (4) is a son of the VRC Victoria Derby winner, Preferment, and actually ran in the Australian Derby himself. Still on pedigree matters, Twigman's third dam was the super-fast Newmarket Handicap winner, Ruffles. Twigman's 'best' is better than the rest here. SHERRIFF CODY (6) has a fine set of numbers right across the board not least that he has a second and a third among his three track and distance runs. CENOTES (7) can figure on his 'old form'. STROBING (11) is very fit and can stay. Bet: Twigman to win ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ RACE 4: Pier Hotel Super Showcase Mdn Hcp 1000m HEAD OF THE RIVER (12) was bought by Proven Thoroughbreds for $100,000 at the 2024 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. This now three-year-old daughter of Shamus Award has been trialling up in Queensland like a 'good horse' and was dealt a 'winning draw' if he can convert. Speaking of good trials and good horses, Matthew Dunn's Yes Yes Yes filly MRS GOLDBERG (13) was so impressive when she won her 1050m Heat at Deagon on July 8. MOREBAR (7), the Noel Mayfield-Smith local, was better than it reads in his trial here. Bet: Head Of The River to win, quinella 12, 13, box trifecta 7, 8, 12, 13 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ RACE 5: Cetnaj Country Magic Merv Mercer Showcase Hcp (C2) MY PEPPERJACK (13) was racing around Rockhampton, Yeppoon, Mackay and such until coming back to NSW to Sally Taylor who can run here or at home on Tuesday at Taree. If she runs here, she will have Jon Grisedale on again subsequent to their third at Grafton on Ramornie Day. SNITZENEGGER (6) is a huge player here but just wanted to point out his fascinating pedigree; yes, he is by Snitzel but his dam is pretty much a three-quarter-sister to Lonhro. DUPONT (11), POINT OUT (2) and PIERRE CARDINNIGAN (1) all have claims. Bet: My Pepperjack each-way ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ RACE 6: Fm Glenn Constructions Daniel Baker Showcase Sprint 1200m SAMMY CONQUERS ALL (9) is housed at Coffs Harbour by Angst's trainer Noel Mayfield-Smith. This son of Nick Moraitis's former iron horse Love Conquers All is on a hat-trick but better still, the first one was an easy one here at home in a Class 3 which he followed up with an away win on the Kensington track. Have seen SLIPPIN' JIMMY (5) do some really good things in the past, not least that super emphatic win here in a Bm74 on last year's Coffs Harbour Cup Day meeting. OAKFIELD DUKE (4) (Bullock) and LADY WARDELL (10) (Morgan) are well in this. Bet: Sammy Conquers All to win, quinella 5, 9, Daily Double 1st Leg 9, 2nd Leg 7 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ RACE 7: Moonee Beach Hotel *Big Dance Eligibility* Coffs Harbour Cup 1600m IT'S A KNOCKOUT (7) has a lot going for her but two things really stand out, for me anyway. One, she is a Group 3 placegetter over 1600m on the limit weight here, and two, barrier four for Ash Morgan is just a gift to the Dynamic Syndications mare. Granted it is not an out and out slam dunk, a horse like SIBAAQ (1) commands great respect and attention given his 96 benchmark rating alone. If there was a total blowout, it could be OSTRACISED (13). He is a local on a hat trick but can he run a mile? Bet: It's A Knockout to win, exacta 7 to beat 1, Ostracised to place ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ RACE 8: Grant Bastian Showcase Hcp (C3) 1200m WILD SENSATION (7) has done more good than bad in her 10 starts. She beat Hell Of A Fox to win her maiden on his home turf down in Canberra back in April. Fast forward to the present and this Matthew Smith-trained filly led throughout for a big Class 1 win at Scone on July 11 beating handy locals Cresta Run and Pindorama. On the right trajectory. BEEBEE (8) is a last start winner here at the home track. He's got a great draw and a great jockey (Luke Rolls). WAHINE GALAXY (14) and Boambee Beach stay under notice. Bet: Wild Sensation to win or if scratched Beebee each-way
