Barriers 1-4 provide 43 percent of the winners at Coonamble so the inside gates are a good starting point for finding winners at the Central Western track.
Investing on every horse drawn in the first four barriers at Coonamble since January 2013 resulted in a small loss on turnover of 2.5 percent which is considerably better than the result for horses launching from gates 5-14 which produced a loss on turnover of 38.6 percent.
Out three best bets on Coonamble Cup day are in the distance range of 1200m to 1600m and the figures are even more biased towards the inside four barriers over these trips.
49.4 percent of all winners in the distance range get the money producing a profit of $40.90 ($1 units) and a POT of 12.3 percent.
STONEYRISE (Race 4 No 7)
Trained at Bourke by James Hatch, Stonyrise had tongues wagging when the six-year-old won the Western Racing Association Country Championship Qualifier at Dubbo last preparation first-up and held his own in the final at Randwick finishing just over three-lengths from the winner after working in the run from a carpark barrier draw and will relish launching from the inside gate on Sunday.
Stoney Rise returns to racing in the Crystal Sprint (1200m) with no trial to guide us but would only have to be close to the form that saw him win the Country Championship Qualifier to be winning first-up again.
PRESENT SENSE (Race 7 No 1)
The Craig Martin-trained Present Sense is drawn to get all the favours in running launching from barrier three in the day's feature, the $45,000 Coonamble Cup (1600m).
Present Sense is one of the most consistent country horses in training finishing in the placings at his last eight starts boasting four wins in the sequence and produces his best for over the mile.
Jockey Peter Graham was the winning jockey in two of the four wins and reunites with Present Sense on Sunday.
From barrier three on Sunday, Present Sense is drawn to get the run of the race tracking the likely leaders Choice Larga and Mishani Scout and if that scenario eventuates he will take plenty of holding out at the finish.
UNIQUE SHADOW (Race 8 No 7)
With the three favourites jumping from double-figure barriers in the Class 3 Handicap (1600m) and knowing the advantage the inside gates have over the trip I went searching for some value and came up with the Jane Clement-trained Unique Shadow.
A Moree winner two runs back before finishing on the placegetters heels at Dubbo last start, Unique Shadow is drawn to settle in the first half of the field and with just 52kgs on her back after the claim for 2kg claiming apprentice Cejay Graham is worth a punt at the $6.50 available in early betting markets.
