Bathurst preview, best bets, inside mail for Sunday September 14, 2025

And while his buyer, owner and trainer John Steinmetz is a virtual ‘frequent flyer’ from Warwick Farm to Bathurst, this will mark the first visit to the Central West town fro Dr Evil.

It coincides of course with Bathurst’s biggest horse race, namely the annual The Kings Hotel Bathurst Cup (1800m) which precedes another capacity field in the 2025 running of the $110,000 Panorama (1300m).

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Dr Evil recorded his ninth career win at his 75th career start four weeks after he turned nine when unleashing his now trademark barnstorming finish to clean up his rivals in a Benchmark 72 (also over 1800m) on the Kensington track on August 26.

“He’s a funny old horse,” Steinmetz said.

“I don’t change a lot with him. We just keep him ticking over.

“He’s getting a bit of age on him these days but he is going as well as he ever has.

“He doesn’t know he is nine and I don’t tell him.”

Dr Evil’s rags to riches story is well documented.

A win here would see his earnings a shandy shy of $600,000 off a $4,500 original outlay at the 2018 Scone Yearling Sale.

Steinmetz must have loved the Casino Prince-Rasay Mist (then) colt at the sale right?

Not so.

“I didn’t like anything really. It’s ridiculous when you think about it but he didn’t have anyone with him at the sales so I couldn’t have much of a look at him,” Steinmetz recalled.

Austin Powers fans have understandably been claiming Dr Evil as one of their own since his debut fourth at $101 at Hawkesbury way back on December 6, 2020.

Again not so.

“I thought he was a nice quiet horse at the sale but when we got him back here the next day, he was a flaming lunatic from day one,” Steinmetz said.

“I don’t know what happened on sale day, he must have been in a very good mood.

“He was called Dr Evil because when Rob Quinn broke him in, he just said he’s an evil bugger and that’s how he got Dr Evil.”

Dr Evil has lots of fans in pubs and clubs but so too in the jockeys room.

Those who have steered Dr Evil to victory read like a who’s who of Sydney’s elite.

James McDonald, Nash Rawiller, Tommy Berry, Jason Collett, Tyler Schiller, Golden Eagle winning jockey Koby Jennings, Redkirk Warrior’s jockey Regan Bayliss and Metropolitan Handicap winner Reece Jones have all won on Dr Evil.

Steinmetz has called up Kody Nestor to guide Dr Evil in his Bathurst Cup quest this weekend in all likelihood on a wet track.

“Kody has ridden a few times for me in the past and he is a jockey you can talk to and he knows the state of the game out there so I was happy to have him,” Steinmetz said.

“(Dr Evil) has won decent races on Good tracks but he gets through the Heavy going whereas others don’t and that’s probably his advantage.”

Nestor will also be aboard stablemate Good Once as he strives for a rare and well overdue win when he tackles the Bill Aspros Showcase Handicap.

“He won a Super Maiden and when they do that there are usually two or three (wins) in them but he keeps finding things that go wrong,” Steinmetz said.

“He should have won another race by this but he hasn’t.

“He always runs an honest race and is well in himself.”

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SHAYNE O’CASS’ TOP SELECTIONS

BEST BET

Race 2 No. 9: FUIL RIOGA

Drawn well for her debut. Trials indicate talent beyond country racing.

NEXT BEST

Race 1 No. 2: FRANKIE’S SHOUT

Been rocketing home over 1000m, then 1100m this prep. Up to 1400m.

VALUE BET

Race 7 No. 7: MISS KARIS

Maintaining a high degree of consistency in stronger races than this one.

DAILY DOUBLE

1st Leg 6, 2nd Leg 7

QUADDIE

Race 4: 2, 3

Race 5: 6, 7

Race 6: 12, 18, 19, 20

Race 7: 5, 7

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

KODY NESTOR has the ride on Dr Evil in the Bathurst Cup.

LAY OF THE DAY

Race 2 No. 7: BACKHANDER

Up against my best bet on the day (Fuil Rioga) so in for a penny in for a pound. Backhander $4 versus Fuil Rioga $5.50.

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INSIDE MAIL - BATHURST

RACE 1: Elders Livestock Bathurst Hugh Bowman Country Boosted Mdn 1400m

FRANKIE’S SHOUT (2) is a son of the Anthony Cummings-trained Your Song out of a mare by the Bart Cummings-trained Eurozone. This four-year-old gelding, trained at Dubbo by Janelle Galea, has come back a different and infinitely better horse this preparation with two barnstorming placings over 1000m and 1100m. This is 1400m. SETHNIQUE (4) is a son of Super Seth out of a half-sister to Kolding. Been with Wayne Brown for two runs, both good, perfect race again for him. EYE FOR STYLE (8) was an eye-catcher at Gundagai. Wants the trip big time.

Bet: Frankie’s Shout to win, exacta 2 to beat 4

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RACE 2: Jeremy Booth Constructions Rising Prince Cup Showcase Mdn 1200m

FUIL RIOGA (9) is a first starter from the Scone stables of Annabel and Rob Archibald. Pedigree buffs take note; she is by Calyx, one of his Aussie stakes-winners is this horse’s stablemate Nellie Leylax. It’s also the family of Northern Drake. Impossible not to be impressed with this filly’s two trials. Drawn 3 for a good jockey (Mollie Fitzgerald). O’Shea and Charlton gelding KARMARDO (2) has the benefit of race experience. In fact, he has placed three from five, all of them were at provincial level. The last one was a third at Gosford where Wandaye (accepted for this) was second.

Bet: Fuil Rioga to win

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RACE 3: Mba Wealth Solutions Tulloch Cup Showcase (C1) 1800m

GWENDIE (1), named in honour of the much loved and missed Queen of Kembla, Gwenda Markwell, has finished on the podium at eight of her 14 starts. Granted, only one of them was a win but she is frequently knocking around in decent company, way better than this and almost always finishing off with purpose. FINAL IMPACT (2) is ‘232’ this time in. The bad news is that he has only won once in 32 starts. That said, he handles the Heavy, has drawn well and is obviously in great shape. SWEXAN (3) could be saved for Tuesday. The only win of DEVIL’S DAUGHTER (5) so far was on a Heavy track. Almost won this track and distance two runs back.

Bet: Gwendie to win

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RACE 4: The Kings Hotel Bathurst Cup 1800m

DR EVIL (3) has won nine races and placed 23 times in 75 starts. That’s a great effort on so many levels but think about those outstanding wins and placings and runs in town season after season. The son of Casino Prince has won on Good to Heavy; if the numbers are anything to go by, he is at his most effective on Heavy. Easy to like and hard to beat. Domeland gelding AIX EN PROVENCE (2) has won four times; two on Soft and two on Heavy. Tick. On top of that, the Nacim Dilmi-trained galloper is a last start Gosford mile winner.

Bet: Dr Evil to win

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RACE 5: Agri West Bill Aspros Cup Showcase (Bm58) 1200m

DAME ANNIE (6) has two wins and a second from nine starts but you wouldn’t be able to find a bad one on her resume. Couple of things to note; one of her two wins was on a Heavy 8, the other win was more or less over this same trip which she won by five lengths. Trialled well at Warwick Farm 10 days ago. ISHIKARI (7) is a Dean Mirfin-trained local who won her first run under the new management at Forbes on Cup Day on a really Heavy track. On pace type, drawn to be prominent again. CHEAP SHOT (5) has won two from three first-up (big tick) but unplaced on all three Heavy track runs.

Bet: Dame Annie to win, Daily Double 1st Leg 6, 2nd leg 7

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RACE 6: Bathurst Panthers Panorama (Bm85) 1300m

SHIRVINGTON (20) has won four of his six starts, one at Kembla, the other three all at Wyong. That’s no real surprise in that he is very much like his namesake – fast. That said, he is no squib, he sat off Bodhi Boy and beat him by a length when he won nine days ago. HIGH BLUE SEA (18) comes armed with some rock solid Sydney form. In fact, he is a multiple Rosehill winner, one of them at the expense of Gallant Star. He’s also got Brisbane form when third in a Class 6 at Doomben on August 16. ROCK EMPIRE (19) once split Yorkshire and House Of Cards.

Bet: Shirvington to win or if scratched High Blue Sea to win

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RACE 7: Grainforce Gold Circle Country Boosted Hcp (C1) 1100m

MISS KARIS (7) is ‘231, last, ‘43’ in her six runs since she arrived at Brett Robb’s Dubbo stables. Interestingly, her last five runs are all on Heavy tracks and plainly, she has no issue at all in that sort of going. She’s been in some pretty strong Class 1’s and 58’s as well, I would suggest some stronger than this one. GLOWING RAPIDS (5) is a son of the 2014 Skyline Stakes winner, Valentia. You don’t see all that many of his offspring running around. As for this five-year-old, he has a tidy resume of one win and five placings from 13 starts. Those two placings this time in were a second by an inch at Gilgandra and then a third to two handy horses in Sorrento Palace and Angie’s Sister.

Bet: Miss Karis each-way, quinella 5, 7, box trifecta 4, 5, 7, 9

Originally published as Bathurst preview, best bets, inside mail for Sunday September 14, 2025