A race at Bathurst on September 19 looks a solid form reference for two races at Nowra on Tuesday.
The race in question was a three-year-old set-weight maiden run in quicker time than the class one event over the same trip on the same day with the quinella from the race heading our best bets for the eight-card at Nowra.
IKABA (Race 1 No 3)
The Brad Widdup-trained Ikaba was the victor at Bathurst and will be chasing back to back wins when he lines up in the WWW.SCTNowra.Com.Au Class 2 – Heat of the Rising Star Handicap (1200m).
Ikaba didn't fire in two runs in his first preparation when trained by Gerald Ryan but was an impressive Rosehill trial winner on January 31 and connections thought enough of the gelding to tackle the Wellington Boot on debut.
Ikaba started favourite in the Boot but was never in the race before sitting four wide in the run without cover at Wyong in his remaining first preparation run.
Ikaba had his first run for Widdup at Hawkesbury on September 2 finishing third before his maiden win at Bathurst.
The figures for the race were good enough to suggest Ikaba can work through the grades and looks well placed in a class two on Tuesday with 52.5kg on his back after the 3kg claim for apprentice Robbie Dolan.
FOXY QUEEN (Race 6 No 4)
Foxy Queen from the Bjorn Baker stable was no match for Ikaba at Bathurst but the effort resuming from a spell and having just her second start in a race was a strong pointer back to her own sex in the Robert Oatley Wines F&M Maiden Handicap (1100m).
After successive trial wins at Hawkesbury and Rosehill, Foxy Queen raced on the speed at Bathurst and should have little difficulty finding the front early from an awkward barrier.
With natural improvement Foxy Queen gets the chance to go one better on Tuesday.
FREE WAY (Race 3 No 2)
Punters who backed Foxy Queen's stablemate Free Way into $1.30 at Bathurst on September 19 should stick with the four-year-old in the St. Georges Basin Country Club Benchmark 60 Handicap (1200m).
I am not one to criticise jockeys who put their life at risk riding 500kg thoroughbreds every day of the week (this writer fears rocking horses let alone the real thing) but I am still finding it hard to work out how Free Way found himself three-wide (albeit with cover) in the run resuming at Bathurst on September 19 from barrier three and nearer the outside fence than the rail straightening.
Free Way was set a Herculean task and his effort to finish just over a length from the winner had plenty of merit.
Free Way led to win his maiden at Bathurst before the break and from barrier one on Tuesday expecting a steward's announcement telling punters that Freeway will be more forward in the run at Nowra on Tuesday.
If that's the case he will be winning.
