Gundagai preview: Tips, best bets and inside mail

James Ponsonby could find the famous “road to Gundagai” paved with gold on his return trip home to the Oaks with a float full of major contenders including one in the town feature.

Ponsonby has half a dozen of his string headed to Gundagai on Sunday led by the Gooree-bred Proven Class who wasn’t far off being an 11th-hour inclusion in Sunday’s $500,000 Country Championship Final.

The daughter of Smart Missile and Sydney Cup runner-up Older Than Time passed half the field to finish on the heels of the placegetters in the 1280m Wild Card at Muswellbrook but not close enough to secure a berth in Saturday’s big one at Randwick.

The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here!

Instead, the former Mark Newnham-trained four-year-old will seek to add the Gundagai Cup (1800m) and another chunk of prizemoney to her growing CV.

“She is probably getting back up to her distance,’’ Ponsonby says.

“It’s 500m more from that Wildcard to the 1800m at Gundagai but being a bit tight-turning track, hopefully it is more like a mile so it should be a good stepping stone.

“She has been a pretty cheap buy; she was only $9000, and I think she has paid 10 times in that earnings for us so she has been a terrific horse for the stable.’’

Ponsonby has quickly established a reputation for turning tried horses into rampant money-spinners for their new connections.

James Ponsonby has a reputation for turning tried horses into money spinners.Source:Supplied

One such horse is the promising three-year-old Phillipsburg whose owners parlayed their instant ROI into another former Queensland housed gelding namely Statesville.

Those owners include Ponsonby himself as well as former 2UE stablemates, broadcaster John Stanley and SKY’s popular presenter Andrew ‘Marto’ Martin.

A son of Written Tycoon, Statesville, bolted in to win his maiden at Beaudesert and went on to place fives time in 10 subsequent starts including two each at Eagle Farm and Doomben.

That said, nothing the grandson of Group 1 placegetter Lady Nickelli has done was any more inspiring than his recent nose second in a Warwick Farm barrier trial to crack NZ colt Aegon.

“My only thing is that with that trial being on the poly surface, it’s not the same surface you are going to meet on race-day but he trialled completely out of his skin,’’ Ponsonby said.

“When Aegon came with him, Winona (Costin) gave Statesville squeeze as much as Aegon got a squeeze and Statesville went with him and one horse is going around in a Doncaster and the other horse is going to Gundagai for a Class 2.

“He has drawn well and there doesn’t look to be huge speed outside him. If he can find the front and dictate, he will give a great sight.’’

Winona Costin will don the increasingly familiar Ponsonby red and yellow silks on all six of the trainer’s Gundagai bound gallopers including on red-hot hope Jazzles in the Sounds Of The Mountain Class 1 Handicap over 1000m.

SHAYNE O’CASS’ TOP SELECTIONS

BEST BET

Race 3 No.1: MY BOY MO

First starter from a very astute yard who trialled extremely impressively and has Blaike McDougall to guide from gate 1.

NEXT BEST

Race 2 No.2: SOJO

Another debutante who arrives in great order having trialled nicely with the Nick Olive polish.

VALUE

Race 6 No.2: HOT BAHAMA

Done some good things since he switched stables and will race handy from favourable draw.

QUADDIE

Race 5: 1

Race 6: 2

Race 7: 3, 6, 10, 12

Race 8: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6

JOCKEY TO WATCH

Winona Costin is set up for a huge day, including the ride on Proven Class in the Cup feature.

TRAINER TO FOLLOW

James Ponsonby takes a six-strong team to Gundagai and could well be celebrating a half dozen victories by day’s end.

INSIDE MAIL: GUNDAGAI

RACE 1

Singing Dixie is co-trained by Barbaba Joseph, who the 1985 Doncaster on this corresponding weekend with the 100/1 shot Row Of Waves. The once Queen of Bombla saddles up Singing Dixie with the Jones boys here and the mare has certainly done enough to have on top in this line-up. James Ponsonby is known to improve horses he takes over and it won’t require much extra for former Queenslander Morgenstern to break his maiden. Lenny’s Lad, Bubbler have claims.

Bet: Singing Dixie win, exacta 8 to beat 5

RACE 2

Soho is trained by Nick Olive who would have no doubt been rightfully delighted with this mare’s trial win in the nation’s capital on March 31 where she breezed down the line almost two lengths clear. Go well. Matthew Dale’s Romero has the race experience coming off two seconds. Should be very prominent throughout. Farage has placed at six of his 16 starts and will get there one day. Miss Melon Cutter adds value to the exotics.

Bet: Sojo win, exacta 2 to beat 1

RACE 3

Sojo is by Black Caviar’s half-brother Moshe and could not have been any more impressive when he won a 1000m trial at Wagga on March 9. Donna Scott and Blaike McDougall have an incredible strike-rate and barrier one is a huge assist to any first starter, especially here at Gundagai. White Liar gave a good account of herself on debut at Wagga and had trialled well beforehand. Major player. Superior Power has pace and should be able to race handy.

Bet: Sojo win, exacta 1 to beat 6

RACE 4

Jazzles is a flashy chestnut daughter of the Cox Plate winner Ocean Park. Formerly trained in Victoria, she had major excuses for her distant fourth at the Sapphire Coast at her first run for James Ponsonby. Drawn perfectly this time. Sharpshooter has barely put a foot wrong in his nine starts and is going to take some running down now that he has drawn barrier one. No Deposit landed a plonk when he won first time out for David Blundell.

Bet: Jazzles win, quinella 2, 3

RACE 5

Statesville is destined to be pretty short odds here if only on the score of his recent trial at Warwick Farm where he went nose for nose with Aegon – and every bit as well too. On top of that, the former Queenslander has twice placed at Eagle Farm and Doomben and is with a very good trainer. Sharlie is handy and is liable to make considerable improvement on her underwhelming first-up run. Sebago has claims while Street Cred should be strong late.

Bet: Statesville win, exacta 1 to beat 3

RACE 6

Hot Bahama is another of the James Ponsonby string headed to Gundagai today. This GB-bred chestnut is a known on-pacer which is almost always a massive advantage racing here. On top of that, the lightly-raced four-year-old has drawn gate two and is fit for purpose. Lady Animalia is still a maiden after 16 starts but she is rarely far away and comes off a last start third at Wagga where she charged home as is usually the case. Estaverdi and Pride Of Kalaru are in the mix.

Bet: Hot Bahama win, Lady Animalia place

RACE 7

Proven Class is a Highway winner and was fourth in the Country Classic under James Ponsonby’s management. The Gooree bred mare came from last and passed the half the field in the Wild Card. Up from 1280m to 1800m but they breed ‘em tough at Gooree! Tocatchacod ran a huge race in the Wagga Heat of the Country Championships. Fast forward to his most recent start and he was a ripping fourth to Star Point at Kembla in the same race where Nieces And Nephews was just a half length behind him in. Tochi is city grade.

Bet: Proven Class win, box trifecta 3, 6, 10, 12

RACE 8

Gary Colvin — the trainer of Another One — saddles up Kurocaine here in the last on Cup day. This son of former Darley speedster Kuroshio has won four times and placed on 11 occasions from his 34 starts often in better company than what he meets. Last start winner jumping from barrier six here. Look Only is the big improver second-up. Bear in mind that she is the highest rated horse in the race on the benchmarks. Scout, Moore Euroes, Choice Harvest and Delivered are all in contention.

Bet: Kurocaine win

Originally published asGundagai tips: Bargain buy has Proven her worth

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