Scone, Nowra best bets and inside mail for Tuesday September 2, 2025

• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet’s team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

SCONE TIPS

BEST BET

Race 7 No.3: VERBIL

Lightly-raced 5YO off a long break but loaded with talent.

NEXT BEST

Race 6 No.5: BONNIE AND BRUCE

Won three in a row before a creditable run in a TAB Highway.

VALUE BET

Race 3 No.10: INIESTA

Expect a lot better here than the debut behind Sixties in town.

QUADDIE

Race 4: 5, 6, 8, 9

Race 5: 5, 7, 9

Race 6: 1, 5, 8

Race 7: 3, 8

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Champion apprentice BRAITH NOCK has a small but select book of rides.

SCONE INSIDE MAIL

RACE 4: F&M MAIDEN PLATE (1100m)

MISS FLEETWOOD (8) is an Extreme Choice filly out of the champion NZ 2YO Group 1 winner Ruud Awakening, aka as the dam of Pago Pago winner Roses Of The Masses. Miss Fleetwood has finished ninth and eighth in her two runs but had major excuses in both. NEPO BABY (9), the “niece” of Gregers, has trialled very well indeed ahead of her debut. Newcastle filly LEICA QUEEN (7) and ANOTHERBADDECISION (6) are both in contention. Price broodmare proposition YVETTE (5) has been very costly but not out of it.

BET: MISS FLEETWOOD to win, quinella 8, 9.

RACE 5: BENCHMARK 58 HANDICAP (1000m)

SOCIAL CIRCLE (9) hasn’t raced since February 21 when he led throughout to win by four at Quirindi in a 1000m 2YO affair. Trialled twice last month, both of them here, both of them quite acceptable. QUICK SHARP (7) is another local, this Rodney Northam-bred/trained mare has had two runs at home altogether for a win and a second. Looks the main challenger to the favourite. EDGE OF MIDNIGHT (5) has only won twice in 21 starts but he is a pretty reliable horse.

BET: SOCIAL CIRCLE to win; quinella 7, 9; Daily Double 1st leg 9, 2nd Leg 3.

RACE 6: BENCHMARK 66 HANDICAP (1600m)

BONNIE AND BRUCE (5) won three in a row, one at Bathurst in between those two home town wins at Dubbo. Garry Lunn took him to a TAB Highway at Rosehill over on a Heavy 9 and he actually ran rather well. DALE (1), Matt Damon’s horse, showed plenty of grit and determination to win at Muswellbrook. Has won at 1600m (tick), 62kg (cross). These other two last-start winners, ANOTHER PEACH (8) and RELEASE POINT (9) are trained on course and on their way up this preparation (each of them).

BET: BONNIE AND BRUCE each-way.

RACE 7: CLASS 3 HANDICAP (1200m)

VERBIL (3) is a 5YO son of Fastnet Rock who we can only assume has had a few issues at one time or another given he has raced just four times and is off a long break. We should also say that he has won two of those four starts (beating Candlewick at Wyong) and was third at another. Trialled well, betting tells the tale. MARVEL MAN (8) has indeed been a marvel since he left Randwick for Mudgee. So much so that he is on a hat-trick on Tuesday. WHERE’STHEPROFIT ran very well here first-up. Cape Byron is value.

BET: VERBIL to win, if scratched CAPE BYRON (2) to place.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

NOWRA TIPS

BEST BET

Race 1 No.6: RECKLESS BEHAVIOUR

Emphatic and impressive winning at Wagga at only his second start.

NEXT BEST

race 3 No.8: MOLTEUNO

Blueblooded filly who powered away with a 1200m Goulburn maiden.

VALUE BET

Race 6 No.5: HELICONIA

Resumes over 1400m (tick) and the trial was encouraging.

NOWRA INSIDE MAIL

RACE 4: BENCHMARK 58 HANDICAP (1600m)

HERON (3) has hit her best stride halfway through this preparation with back-to-back seconds at the provincials. Blake Ryan has found the ideal race for the daughter of Hellbent who won’t mind the wet, be that heavy or soft. IT IS TO BE (5) has won just two out of 20 but one of those was here at Nowra albeit over 2200m and not the mile. That said, he has placed at his last two and they were both over 1600m. DRUNKEN SAILOR (1) is the top-rater in the race and that counts.

BET: HERON to win.

RACE 5: BENCHMARK 66 HANDICAP (1100m)

COOL LAD (1) has lost 41 of his 45 starts but he has placed 12 times and has been unlucky for one reason or another a fair few times. Even though his win strike rate is plainly not good, his record at Nowra is, two starts for a win and a third. This is well within his reach. KING CHARLES (3) beat Cool lad at Kembla before his Midway failure where he was back in an on-pace style race as it panned out. SUMO STAR (2) is a first-up flyer!

BET: COOL LAD to win; Daily Double 1st Leg 1, 2nd Leg 1.

RACE 6: MAIDEN HANDICAP (1400m)

HELICONIA (5) is the third foal of Hariata. Kerry Parker trains this one and the sibling too, none other than Callistemon. Heliconia was better than it looked when eighth of 14 in a Kembla 1300m maiden on debut in April. Spelled and trialled well. PREFER DIAMONDS (10) is the breeder’s buff dream, a perfect mix of stamina (her sire is Preferment) and speed (her third dam is Newmarket winner, Ruffles). Big improver here.

BET: HELICONIA/PREFER DIAMONDS each-way, exacta and quinella 5, 10.

RACE 7: MAIDEN HANDICAP (1200m)

CHILLI CRAB (1) was runner-up at Port Macquarie at her debut run back on January 24. She was $2.70 out to $6 first-up and ran accordingly but to be fair to her, it was a Heavy 9 and it could turn out that she is a duffer. Look, whatever the case, she trials like a horse who is going to win races. SHERIFF’S STAR (2) also accepted for Scone on Tuesday. Form and trials are good enough to win either race. MRS VEE’s (8) two trials indicate a level of talent is present.

BET: CHILLI CRAB to win, MRS VEE to place.