Shayne O’Cass’s best bets and inside mail for Newcastle and Goulburn on Tuesday, October 7, 2025

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NEWCASTLE TIPS

BEST BET

Race 1 No.2 MARIKO: Speedy local making his debut at home over the 900m.

NEXT BEST

Race 2 No.10 LOGAN DOWNS: Kris Lees-trained son of Prov Champs winner Serene Miss. Has talent.

VALUE

Race 5 No.10 WHERE’S MY HALO: Charging towards a peak/first win. Ideally placed to convert here.

QUADDIE
Race 4: 1,7
Race 5: 9,10
Race 6: 1,2
Race 7: 1,2,5

LAY OF THE DAY
Race 7 No.5 ORTHIE’S BOY: To be honest, the form is pretty good, you could make the case to back him not lay but happy to take on a favourite in such capacity in the Get Out Stakes and let the cards fall where they may..

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
Ash Morgan could rack up enough points to win the Jockeys Challenge.

NEWCASTLE INSIDE MAIL

RACE 4: Benchmark 68 (900m)

POWER OF THE BRAVE (1) has a benchmark rating of 70, two points higher than the one nearest to him and 26 ahead of one the furthest away. That has to count for something, more so when he is able to get in with 60kg after the claim. Drawn well, trialling really well. SUPER FREDS (7) has raced at this t/d 13 times for no wins but has tallied up four seconds and a third. He shapes a big second-up improver at big odds.

Bet: POWER OF THE BRAVE (1) to win, exacta / duet 1,7.

RACE 5: 4YO+ Maiden Plate (1500m)

WHERE’S MY HALO (10) brings together Emancipation’s trainer Neville Begg and rider Ron Quinton. Long story short, one Hall of famer owns here (Begg), the other one trains here (Quinton). As for the horse herself, she is third-up here and galloping towards her first win. To do so she may or may not have to beat SWELTERING (9) who could well be saved for another day. JONSON (4) is the intriguing runner having come from NZ to ‘The Bakery’.

Bet: WHERE’S MY HALO (10) each-way, Daily Double 1st Leg 10, 2nd Leg 1.

RACE 6: Class 1 Handicap (1250m)

AUTUMN BLONDE (2) was ridden (very well too) by Mitch Stapleford when she won that Kembla Maiden on August 30. Led and faded in the Tea Rose after that but don’t forget she was fourth in the Sweet Embrace so there is a class element to her. You wouldn’t find too many better triallers on the Newcastle card than Koios. Numbers read well right across the board. TONG HO (5) chased home a very progressive horse at Kembla second-up.

Bet: AUTUMN BLONDE (2) to win, First 4 Nos: 1,2,3,5.

RACE 7: 5YO+ Benchmark 64 (1500m)

ALL HUNKY DORY (1) is a spritely nine-year-old who wasn’t exactly Ka Ying Rising when he raced in Hong Kong but he has really hit straps here in Australia under the care and attention of Adam Duggan (who can do that with these ex-Hong Kongers). Duggan has found literally the perfect race for the horse today; 1500m, claiming 2kg and off a brilliant trial here recently. ORTHIE’S BOYS (5) is ‘215’ in his three runs for Greg McFarlane. He’s easy to like. SUBARCTIC (2) was way better than an ‘8th’ reads first-up.

Bet: ALL HUNKY DORY (1) each-way.

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GOULBURN TIPS

BEST BET

Race 6 No.2 MANWARI: Got the confidence sky-high now as he chases hat trick.

NEXT BEST

Race 7 No.5 KREON: Surely he is good enough to win a Class 3 at home?

VALUE

Race 4 No.11 BREEDERS SUN: Gives the strong impression that the mile will suit on the big track.

GOULBURN INSIDE MAIL

RACE 4: Maiden Handicap (1600m)

BREEDERS SUN (11), the daughter of Ethereal Stakes winner Dawnie Perfect and grandson of Queensland Oaks winner Zagalia, is unplaced in her three starts to date but take a look at the winners of each of those races; Beadman, Autumn Blonde and Reflect. Now compare that to what she is up against on Tuesday. FALCON LAIR (2) is ‘333’ so far and was scratched from Warwick Farm on Monday, saved for this, and wearing the blinkers first time too.

Bet: BREEDERS SUN (11) each-way, quinella 2,8.

RACE 5: Maiden Plate (1100m)

YOWERI (7) is a son of I Am Invincible out of a mare who is a great producer; all of her four foals to race have won, in fact they have won well over 20 races between them and two are stakes-winners in Italy. This one trials like a ‘good horse’. Same for MARGIN CALL (5), the cleverly-named son of Capitalist. Drawn wide; he could be saved for Thursday. COOL BLAZE (1) has the race experience. It was a good run too and his trials have been ace.

Bet: YOWERI (7) to win, Daily Double 1st Leg 7, 2nd Leg 5.

RACE 6: Benchmark 58 (1100m)

MANWARI (2) took nine starts to win a race, not a long time in the scheme of things but he was getting to be very costly indeed for his backers. Now with that said, the Danny Williams-trained son of Menari is on a hat-trick. Indeed that second of the two wins was here on Sep 25 and he really put a gap in them. It is as wide as the Sydney Heads after Manwari. Any and all of the Geoffrey Crothers trio – HIS HONOUR (3), VAINSTREAM (4) and MOTORBOAT (5) – have claims.

Bet: MANWARI (2) to win (best bet).

RACE 7: Class 3 Handicap (1300m)

KREON (5) looked like being anything early on; remember his four-length debut win on Snake Gully Cup day at Gundagai? For the record, he has only won once since – that was a Benchmark 66 here on September 2024 – but he has run in a few Highways, oh, and a Koscisuzko. Say this with all respect and admiration for the horse, but look, if he can’t win a Class 3 at home, it might be the end of the friendship. JACKPOT STAR (4) is too consistent to be considered a threat or even the one to beat.

Bet: KREON (5) to win.

Originally published as Shayne O’Cass’s best bets and inside mail for Newcastle and Goulburn on Tuesday, October 7, 2025