18-05-2025
Shayne O'Cass's best bets and Inside Mail for Corowa and Port Macquarie on Monday, May 19, 2025
Form analyst Shayne O'Cass presents his best bets and inside mail for Monday's NSW meetings at Corowa and Port Macquarie.
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COROWA TIPS
BEST BET
Race 4 No.9 HOT ONE: Placed at three of five, was fourth and fifth at the others so is highly reliable.
NEXT BEST
Race 3 No.3 CHOICE WITNESS: Beat Urafiki at Albury in January. Goes well enough fresh to win this.
VALUE
Race 1 No.5 SUNDROP: Been all around the mark so far. Getting so close now.
QUADDIE
Race 4: 9
Race 5: 4,5,8
Race 6: 1,6,9
Race 7: 3,6,9
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
Lachlan King will be popular in the TAB Jockeys Challenge.
COROWA INSIDE MAIL
HOT ONE (9) was scratched from Echuca on Saturday to run here instead. The Wangaratta resident has placed at two of her five career starts and one of them was a solid, on-pace, third at Albury so she does handle 'our way of going'. Form reads well. SHEBRINGS BEAUTY (10) remains winless after 17 starts but she has placed eight times, four of them were seconds. Looks likely to medal again it would seem. PRIDE OF JEZZA (3) has drawn 2 and gets Blaike McDougall.
HOT ONE (9) to win (best bet), exacta 9 to beat 10.
ADASITI (5) was $10 into $8 when he beat a field of 14 in a Wagga Country Maiden on January 9 – and was spelled. He resurfaced there at home again on Wagga Cup day, $81 into $61, in a Class 1 and be certain that his 9th of 14 was way better than it reads. All three of TYCOON ARTIE (4) 's wins have been at 1200m. The stablemate of Asgarda is in grand form ahead of this and is blessed with a grand draw too.
BET: ADASITI (5) each-way, quinella 4,5, Daily Double 1st Leg 5, 2nd Leg 6.
LYSANDER (9) was scratched from a race at Parkes' Cup day meeting on Sunday. The son of Pierro has been racing in tremendous form for the whole preparation; in fact, he has won two of his last four and importantly, both were circa 1400m. SALUTE AGAIN (1) is quite a formidable horse on his best day (s). He has run well in better races than this and was devoid of luck at Wagga on Cup day. He was a near three-length winner at his only track/distance run before today.
BET: LYSANDER (9) to win.
WARPAINTED (6) has won twice in seven starts. He broke his maiden here in a 1400m affair at start two so he's always been handy. As for start seven, that was his first one for Donna Scott and even though he beat two home, it was the Wagga Guineas and he wasn't beaten far at all. DRUNKEN SAILOR (3) has done some good things in a relatively short time. Drawn wide so will need some luck but third-up today, he's beautifully placed and off a recent 'second'.
BET: WARPAINTED (6) to win, quinella 3,6.
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PORT MACQUARIE TIPS
BEST BET
Race 3 No.9 LUNE D'EXCELLENCE: Sent out positive signs for the future first-up at Newcastle.
NEXT BEST
Race 1 No.2 PERASTA: Becoming costly but gets conditions to suit today.
VALUE
Race 4 No.7 RANHITA: Only won 1 from 21 but this is possibly within her reach.
PORT MACQUARIE INSIDE MAIL
GEMOLOGIST (5) won the coveted Star Kingdom on debut and did it comfortably in the end on a Heavy 9 at Muswellbrook. The difference today is that he is a 2YO taking on older horses which is difficult but not impossible. Good draw, Bullock remains. LOVE RAT (6) gets back in these shorter races but can really rattle on home more often than not. He was a noticeable closer in quite a deep Benchmark 58 here on a Heavy 8 first-up.
BET: GEMOLOGIST (5) to win, quinella 5,6.
AFRICAN DIAMOND (5) had trialled well prior to her debut run here at Port Macquarie on April 27 where she finished five-lengths third at $4.40. To be fair, it was a Heavy 8 and she was eighth of 10 at the 400m. PIEDI VELOCI (2) was tipped out after a rather encouraging debut at Murwillumbah. Market the true guide. RISK FOR REWARD (4) 's 'poor' first-up record is a little misleading.
BET: AFRICAN DIAMOND (5) each-way, Daily Double 1st Leg 5, 2nd Leg 9.
CALVARY (6) is a Matthew Dunn-trained direct relative of Naturalism bred to swim and that seems to be the way it has worked out with the 3YO having a win and a third on his two Heavy track runs. The win came while racing first-up as he is today. His dangers include his stablemate MISS UCHITEL (9) whose only run on Heavy was a big one. NAUGHTY NURSE (10) handles the wet admirably and won her maiden here at Port.
BET: CALVARY (6) to win, quinella 6,9.
BELLA KATHLEEN (9) has two wins; one at Gawler for one of her previous handlers, the other for former SA master Mark Minervini at Newcastle. Backed that up with a second to Gentelischi. YORIKIRI (7) saves his best for Port Mac; he has raced here eight times for three wins and three placings. His heavy form is more than acceptable. No reason why he can't make it win number four today. EMPUSA (10), a third generation descendant of Merlene, wears blinkers first time.
