Race-by-race preview and tips for Scone on Friday

Selections based on a soft track

Race 1 MAIDEN PLATE (1300m)

Keen on home track filly 9. Bootscooter rising sharply to a suitable distance second up. Came from last to hit the line late resuming and right at home on downgrade ratings being by Sidestep.
Dangers: Big watch on local three-year-old 2. Indicative who resumes off a nice trial with a stack of gear changes but senior metro rider is having a bad run with only two winners (one in NSW) from his last 50 rides. Monitor the betting on home track Japanese-sired three-year-old 7. Seahaven on debut off two progressive trials for a leading country trainer/jockey combination; while 1. All Beans and 6. Royal Commission who improves sharply second up; go through the exotics.
How to play it: Bootscooter each way; Odds and Evens: Split

Race 2 MAIDEN HCP (1000m)

Open maiden sprint with many chances but no better value than three-year-old 7. Kayobi who resumes for only her second start off an eight month spell. Another potentially exciting Japanese-sired youngster from the local Paul Messara stable and tuned up for his return with a trial win at Tamworth. Over the odds in a wide race.
Dangers: Another one resuming, metro three-year-old 1. Hamaki is a serious threat behind two trials, winning the latest in easy fashion, and drew to get a nice trail. Competitive in deeper city and provincial maidens last prep and top jockey sticking from the trials is a further pointer. Keep watch on lightly raced 4. Pacheco who is also first up behind a provincial trial win in soft ground. If resuming filly 13. Rock Chant can slot in from the wide barrier, she’ll be in the finish. Has won both lead-up trials on rain-affected ground in impressive fashion and will relish the bigger and more spacious track.
How to play it: Kayobi each way and box trifecta 1,4,7,13; Odds and Evens:

Race 3 CLASS 1 HCP (1600m)

The way promising Irish-bred four-year-old import 1. Baltic Coast put his maiden rivals to the sword first up on a Heavy 10 at Newcastle suggests he can repeat the dose here stepping up 200m to the mile. That was his first run since two solid maiden starts in the UK late last year, and he’s bred to thrive on rain-affected tracks. Will settle back off the speed from a wide draw and should relish the sweeping run in. The one to beat.
Dangers: Another promising one, metro filly 3. African Daisy tracked the speed before destroying her maiden rivals on debut at Wyong. Similarly bred to handle the wet but goes up 2.5kg in weight from a tougher draw. Tough local mare 8. Keen Contributor has hit the line in his last three, each time finding one better. Looks well treated at the weights coming off Highway grade to a country Class 1. Included in exotics 4. Your Temptation who improved sharply second up to claim a provincial maiden; while provincial mare 10. Decadent Tale can again run into a place fourth up.
How to play it: Baltic Coast to win; Odds and Evens: Split

Race 4 CLASS 1 HCP (1100m)

Another wide open sprint with plenty of chances. Randwick three-year-old 1. Egyptian Tycoon tracked the speed on debut before surging clear for an emphatic win. This looks a very winnable next step despite a 3kg weight rise and is bred to thrive in the wet.
Dangers: Tough three-year-old 2. Hold On Honey hasn’t missed a place in three runs this prep and draws to either go through and lead or sit right behind the pace. Emerging provincial three-year-old 4. Xpresso bounced straight to the front as a hot favourite and gave nothing else a chance in heavy ground on debut at the provincials. Tougher here and will need to work across from a wide gate. Another imported city-based mare 7. Siyata resumes for the new John O’Shea yard with a stack of gear changes and has been given a quiet trial. Both 8. Sebring’s Rose fresh; and 12. Summer Glow also first up and drawn well; can run into the minor end of the money.
How to play it: Egyptian Tycoon to win; Odds and Evens: Split

Race 5 CLASS 1 HCP (1100m)

Same grade and trip augurs well for promising and talented Deep Field filly 4. Tillotson in what is one of the most open races on the program. Randwick stable has been very selective in finding the return race to start only her second prep behind two forward and controlled trials. Terrific value! Dangers: Progressive three-year-old 1. King Kapa is up sharply in weight but will find this much more to his liking than a metro BM 78. Expect improvement too from Per Incanto colt 8. As You Were who couldn’t pick up on the bog track at Warwick Farm but is fit enough and will appreciate the bigger track. Provincial three-year-old 13. Oakfield Mahogany is best of the rest second up.
How to play it: Tillotson each way; Odds and Evens: Split

Race 6 CLASS 2 HCP (1300m)

Exciting Godolphin filly 7. Camino Real only has to slot in for some cover from the wide gate to produce a race-winning finish. Flashed home as a heavily backed favourite first up in metro BM 64 grade in heavy going, and the winner then ran well again at Warwick Farm on Wednesday. Prior had thrashed a very handy maiden field coming off a year-long break, and if she stays sound can go on and win Group races. Superior metro rider takes over the reins too.
Dangers: Talented Shalaa three-year-old 15. Mobstar returns for a second prep off two trials finishing nicely to bolt in the most recent. Has a stack of natural ability and charged home on debut last sprint to beat a good maiden field over a similar distance. Got plenty of time for provincial mare 10. Starboreta who charged home to win a BM 64 deep into the prep. Honest and consistent three-year-old 1. Park Avenue comes back from a narrow defeat in CL3 metro company over the border but inside ground here under 62kg is a big query.
How to play it: Camino Real to win; Odds and Evens: Odds

Race 7 INGLIS 2YO CHALLENGE (1100m)

Now for the youngsters, and it’s an even split between the debutants and those with race experience. Despite drawing wide, Invader gelding 17. Vegas Raider can start his career with a bang. Looked sharp, easily winning a soft track trial at Rosehill only a week ago and threatens to be one right out of the box.
Dangers: Capitalist filly 8. Gossip Torque arrives from the Sunshine Coast reloading for her second start after an all-the-way debut win at Ipswich 11 weeks ago. Has been strong through the line in two Qld trials since and top metro hoop is booked to steer. Sooboog colt and last start winner 4. Raging Rush is over the odds and has been kept ticking over at the trials five weeks between runs. Watch the betting on debutant Capitalist filly 9. Invest In Love who has progressed nicely at the trials but will have to spear across from the extreme outside gate. Include impressive debut winner 13. Seaside Sandy; and at bigger odds 11. Penitent who is bred for speed; in trifectas and first fours.
How to play it: Vegas Raider to win; Odds and Evens: Split

Race 8 SCONE CUP (1600m)

Feature race over the mile typically comes with a stack of chances. Very forgiving of iron-like five-year-old 6. Art Cadeau who got lost back in the pack in the Group 3 Hawkesbury Guineas third up but comes back a notch in quality here carrying only half kilo more. Has an outstanding 66 percent soft track win rate from six starts.
Dangers: Must respect tough seven-year-old 5. Dr Drill who did his best work late first up in Group 3 company at Caulfield. Was consistently in and around the money in deeper black-type contests last spring, and he looks well treated under 56.5kg rising to an ideal 1600m journey. Keep safely talented four-year-old 10. Rustic Steel if he backs up in six days from a dominant feature win over this distance at Gosford. High class five-year-old 3. Kirwan’s Lane didn’t put a foot wrong from just off the speed to claim the Hawkesbury Cup second up, although won’t get as many favours here drawn wide carrying 3kg more; while four-year-old stallion 18. Diamil is best of the rest if he starts, although the inside draw in a big field does him no favours.
How to play it: Art Cadeau each way and trifecta 5,6,10/3,5,6,10,18/3,5,6,10,18; Odds and Evens: Split

Race 9 BENCHMARK 84 HCP (1400m)

Plenty of chances in the closer as well. Underrated and ultra consistent four-year-old 10. Amulet Street is one of the more adaptable gallopers in country-based NSW, although also accepted for a BM 72 on Saturday. Comes off a dominant all-the-way win in CL2 grade after running into third place in the Country Championship Final at Randwick. Draws out but is capable of surging forward or taking a sit and has only missed a place once in 15 career starts.
Dangers: Big watch on four-year-old 1. French Marine who hasn’t missed a place in his last four and has been freshened off a close-up result in the Provincial Midway Championship final. Lightly raced home track six-year-old 8. Mr Hussill has been given three weeks since launching home to claim a Highway on a Heavy 10 at Randwick, although low draw doesn’t suit one who likes to get to the outside; while 6. Acrophobic and 14. Black Wand head the rest.
How to play it: Amulet Street to win; Odds and Evens: Split

BEST BETS: Race 3 (1) BALTIC COAST; Race 6 (7) CAMINO REAL
BEST VALUE: Race 8 (6) ART CADEAU