The win of Latin Boy at Warwick Farm last Monday looks a solid form reference for a Godolphin three-year-old at Gosford on Thursday.
Add to that a three-year-old back to a provincial maiden after contesting a Stakes race at Randwick and yet another with a significant weight pull over a favourite and it looks a promising punting day on the Central Coast track.
CONNOISSEUR (Race 7 No 4)
The Richard Freedman-trained Latin Boy made it four wins on the trot at Warwick Farm after winning a class two at Hawkesbury on September 21 with Connoisseur finishing second beaten less than two-lengths.
A son of Exceed And Excel with the Godolphin polish, Connoisseur settled at the rear of the field at Hawkesbury and was still five-lengths from the leaders straightening but worked home strongly along the fence in a promising return to racing.
Connoisseur has only been to the races on three occasions winning a Kembla maiden on debut before finishing close-up in a race at Rosehill won by the unbeaten Viridine who returned to racing to win the Heritage Stakes at Randwick on September 16, so there is plenty of solid form references around Connoisseur.
Significantly, Connoisseur comes back his right grade in the Comedy Nights @ The EG Class 1 Handicap and is at backable odds with $2.70 available in early betting.
LIGHTZ (Race 1 No 1)
The Heritage Stakes gets a mention when assessing the chances of the Jim and Greg Lee-trained Lightz who is chasing a confidence boosting win in the Gosford City Markets Maiden Handicap (1100m) after finishing less than four-lengths from the winner Viridine at his latest outing.
Lightz has contested metropolitan races in each of his eight career starts to date placing on two occasions including a close third at Canterbury two runs back when the three-year-old son of Sepoy led with Blake Shinn the jockey before being run down late.
Shinn is back in the saddle on Thursday and expecting him to take advantage of the rails barrier draw and take Lightz straight to the front.
If that's the case, Lightz will take plenty of running down.
NEWBURGH (Race 3 No 8)
The Team Hawkes-trained Newburgh gave nothing else a chance winning his maiden at Newcastle resuming on September 16 and looks a horse capable of handling the step up in grade chasing back to back wins in the TAB.Com.Au Benchmark 69 Handicap (1100m).
Newburgh ran quicker time over the 900m scamper than the open handicap winner on the day which augers well for the three-year-old's chances on Thursday.
Newburgh is second pick in early betting at $3.40 behind the Paul Perry-trained Gadfly but the 6kg weight advantage in favour of the Hawkes galloper looks the decisive factor suggesting bookies may have the wrong market order.
