Mitch Cohen's Blackbook: Five to follow from Winter Stakes day
FIVE TO FOLLOW
RAGING FORCE (1st, race 1)
Punters saw the most exciting young galloper in the opener and he didn't disappoint, bringing up a hat-trick of wins this preparation in emphatic fashion. He's got stakes quality written all over him.
A dominant win from Raging Force in the Rosehill opener - that's three from three, and he's living up to his name! ðŸ'¥ @TommyBerry21 @SnowdenRacing1 @Darby_Racing pic.twitter.com/rpl7b3ekOF
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 5, 2025
POWDER MAN (2nd, race 3)
It's now been back-to-back Highway runs where he's got back in the field and rocketed home, this time closing off strongly for second. If he can get the breaks, there's a Highway win in him soon.
USEAPIN (6th, race 6)
There is no doubt this filly should have finished a lot closer in her first run back from a freshen up after running into dead ends in the straight when she had plenty to offer. Stay with her.
Bounced back in a big way from his tough Stradbroke Handicap run with an unlucky second in the Winter Stakes. He can go close next start, perhaps in a race like the Winter Challenge on Saturday week.
SACRED ROCKS (2nd, race 10)
The winner Brave One was excellent after racing three-wide throughout but don't drop off this mare either. She is a mare on an upward trajectory and tipping stakes races beckon for her in the future.
It's @djgibbons22 's world, we're just living in it ðŸ''
A treble for the young star as Brave One makes it two on the trot, he's progressing nicely for Team Hawkes! @HawkesRacing pic.twitter.com/Dq2i6dnCta
— 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) July 5, 2025
STEWARDS SAY
Just Awesome (race 1): Jockey Regan Bayliss reported the colt raced flat and may have come to the end of his prep. He was found to be 3/5 lame in the near foreleg and will now be spelled.
Lull (race 1): Found to be slow to recover post-race. Will undergo a veterinary and endoscopic examination before racing again.
Sequista (race 1): Jockey Jason Collett could offer little explanation for the filly's disappointing finishing effort. She will now be spelled.
Let's Go Brandon (race 3): After weakening in the straight, the gelding was found to have bled in both nostrils for the first time and is now banned from racing for three months.
Tarpaulin (race 5): Slow to begin. Raced too keenly through the early and middle stages and jockey Rachel King felt it impacted his finishing effort.
Fleet Commander (race 7): Jockey Josh Parr said near the 450m mark the gelding's action deteriorated and he became badly unbalanced so retired him from the race. The gelding was found to be stiff and short in its action.
Whinchat (race 9): Fractious in the barriers before beginning awkwardly. Jockey Jay Ford reported he never travelled well, raced flat and was disappointing in the manner in which he finished off. He will now be spelled.
CRUNCH TIME
Raging Force (race 1): Settled in the box seat and unleashed a powerful last 600m of 34.08 seconds for the 1100m test. His closing splits of 11.16 and 11.45 were the clear best of the race.
Powder Man (race 3): Didn't have a runner behind him at the 600m before closing off in a clear race-best 35.09 seconds from that point. His last 200m of 11.90 got him within a length of the winner Lordster.
Lordster rules the TAB Highway first up for @AnnaRoper_ and Brett Bellamy! ðŸ'' @aus_turf_club @larneuk pic.twitter.com/LqZa2FzR0R
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 5, 2025
Lonhro's Queen (race 6): The only horse at the meeting to break the 34 second barrier for the last 600m, coming home from last in 33.98 seconds while still only beating a runner home.
Brave One (race 10): Went back from a wide draw before making a long sustained run to win, clocking 35.70 seconds for his last 600m. Only fellow back marker Sacred Rocks (35.64) came home better but position in running was key.
TRACK TALK
'I have been telling the jockeys, 'watch him going to the gates because he'll pull and be a bit ferocious' but at his first two runs back he has gone around to the start like a kid's pony. Today, he took off a bit on the rider and I thought, 'this is better'.'' Joe Pride after Estadio Mestalla's Winter Stakes win.
'Punters' obsession with weight is ridiculous and sometimes they ignore the obvious.' Pride after Storm The Ramparts carried 62.5kg to victory.
'He still has to make more improvement which I think he will. He's improving with every start and you don't see how good they are until they race against the better quality of horses because that brings the best out of them.' Tommy Berry on emerging star Raging Force.
'When a jockey is in form and confident, things just happen and they happen without you even thinking about it.' Josh Parr after his Rosehill Gardens double.
'We would love to get black type with her. There are a couple of those early mares races in August-September that might be alright for her.' Gerald Ryan on Diddle Dumpling.
Diddle Dumpling does it at both ends in The Agency Real Estate Handicap � @clarkyhk pulls off a great frontrunning ride for @RARacing_ pic.twitter.com/UifHGPPrsS
— Australian Turf Club (@aus_turf_club) July 5, 2025
THIS WEEK IN NSW RACING
Monday: Wagga
Tuesday: Goulburn, Muswellbrook
Wednesday: Canterbury Park
Thursday: Gosford, Dubbo
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