Three second favourites in early betting at Wyong on Friday rate strong chances of toppling the favourites in their respective races.
The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Island Missile has come up second pick at $2.40 to win the Bishop Collins Accountants 3YO Maiden Plate (1350m) behind the Godolphin colt Stone.
Stone ($2.25) has been solid in his three runs to date including a close third at Rosehill two runs back and deserves to be prominent in the market but the credentials of Island Missile are at least equally as strong coming off an impressive debut run at Kembla when runner-up to Kennedy in a 1200m maiden.
Island Missile finished his race off in manner that suggests he will appreciate the step up in distance and gets a set of blinkers for the first time.
Launching from barrier one I would prefer to be on Island Missile at the odds but the race does look a two-horse affair.
Somewhat surprised to see the Joe Pride-trained Tamarack ($2.10) be shorter in the betting than the Kim Waugh-trained Never Out ($2.60) in the Insurance House Class 1 Handicap (1200m).
Tamarack resumes on the back of two trials and as a Beaumont winner and Wyong runner-up from four starts in his first preparation rates as one of the key chances fresh but with the fitness edge I give Never Out the nod over the favourite.
A Gosford maiden winner on debut, Never Out has been placed in four of her five subsequent starts including a close second at the track and distance last time out.
Another Waugh-galloper Prince Dylan with Tommy Berry in the saddle looks value at $4.60 in the Blueberry Events Benchmark 60 Handicap (1100m) compared to the early favourite Miss Faith ($4.20) from the Jeff Englebrecht yard.
Prince Dylan has finished in the placings both runs this preparation at Muswellbrook and Gosford and is ready to win third-up.
Miss Faith is at the same stage of her preparation but the query is whether the mare is looking for longer than 1100m third-up.
