Mudgee preview: Trainer David Smith optimistic despite rain threatening Lockdown Gamble's Cup campaign
The David Smith -trained gelding boasts an exemplary record at the Mudgee 1400m and towers over his rivals in the Benchmark ratings department.
Add in a four kilo claim and Lockdown Gamble seems to have all bases covered, but for one, the weather.
'I am not sure he will get out of third or fourth gear here with the wet conditions but if the track improves, he will be terribly hard to beat,' Smith said.
'He needed the run (last start at Canterbury). He was about five or six weeks between runs and he just got away from us fitness-wise.
LOCKDOWN GAMBLE wins the Wellington Cup!
Consolation from the Country Championships for @DJSRacing6 as Lockdown Gamble survives a protest from Danish Prince to win the @WellingtonRaces Cup and earn Big Dance ðŸ'ƒ eligibility. Sizzle Minizzle ran a close third. @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/97SAXrNp0h
â€' Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) April 14, 2024
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!
'It was just a sit and sprint over the last 600m and I am quite pleased with how he has come through the run.'
Given all of Lockdown Gamble's past heroics, it was only fair to the others that he was afforded 64kg in the XXXX Cup.
Not that Smith saw it as an impossible task but has managed to cut the impost down to a manageable 60kg thanks to the whopping claim of young apprentice jockey, Nicholas Hyde.
'I saw an article on him on the Racing NSW (website). I watched him on Cumboogle there at Narromine and I thought he was quite strong for a four kilo kid being able to ride one out,' Smith said.
'That's pretty much what we're after. Once we dropped a few points after that Canterbury run, we thought if we could find a half decent kid who is going to be able handle him, we can pick up another Cups race out here with him.'
Smith, meanwhile, is suitably bullish about the prospects of the supremely well-bred mare Champers Girl when steps out in the Oriental Hotel Benchmark 66 Handicap (1200m).
Smith's mare was nothing short of the eye-catcher in the race when she finished second to one of Dubbo's most in-form horses - Midnight Dream - at her most recent outing.
'I'm extremely happy with her too,' the trainer declared. 'I think she is probably my best chance on the card.'
Borrowed Luck cruises to victory at HUGE odds at Tamworth! ðŸ'° pic.twitter.com/HwNkvWqoks
â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 9, 2025
Champers Girl, as her name may suggest, is a great granddaughter of Champagne who won the 1998 Mackinnon Stakes, four days prior to her close second to Jezabeel in the Melbourne Cup.
Smith's stable of blue bloods doesn't end there.
His Mudgee digs are home to Instead who was once part of Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin racing string.
A daughter of Lonhro, Instead is a very close genetic relative of the Hong Kong champion Vengeance Of Rain, AJC Oaks winner Dizelle and her VRC Oaks winning daughter, Pinot.
Instead has been holding her form admirably, evidenced by her determined fourth in a deep 2200m Benchmark 58 at Dubbo last weekend.
'I have no hesitation in her backing up and the reason for it is she just likes the wet track,' Smith said.
'The only time I have done it, she was coming off a Coonabarabran win when she stepped up to the mile for the first time at Dubbo and she was only just nabbed on the line there.'
Fans of Johnny Cash will be drawn to Smith's participant in the final race, the Wild Oats Country Boosted Class 2 Handicap (1400m), namely A Boy Named Soo.
The son of the now Indonesia-based stallion Sooboog has been somewhat hot and cold over his career but is warming up to another win says Smith.
'He is going much better than his record suggests this time in,' Smith offered.
SHAYNE O'CASS' TOP SELECTIONS
BEST BET
Race 4 No. 1: LAST LALIQUE
Half-sister and stablemate of Dollar Magic. Might just be better than these.
NEXT BEST
Race 6 No. 6: RED SPECTOR
Left a lasting impression when he won at Coffs Harbour back in December.
VALUE BET
Race 7 No. 2: THE IMPECKABLE
Third-up; good draw, good jockey, good prospects.
QUADDIE
Race 4: 1
Race 5: 1, 4, 8, 10
Race 6: 2, 6
Race 7: 2, 3, 6, 9
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
AARON BULLOCK has a 20.7 per cent winning strike-rate at Mudgee.
INSIDE MAIL - MUDGEE
DE LOUVIERE (3) is a Matthew Smith trained son of the German Derby winner Sea The Moon who was scheduled to race at Beaumont on Tuesday, only the meeting was washed out. Smith's Irish-bred import blotted an otherwise exemplary copybook with that fading seventh of eight at Wyong last start but he did plenty of overtime up there in a no holds barred 2000m. AVION FURY (1) boasts a plethora of provincial form. Failed last start too but this looks a lovely race for him to bounce back. Maybe BUSH TELEGRAPH (2) wants 2000m now.
Bet: De Louviere to win, exacta 3 to beat 1
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RACE 2: McGrath Country Boosted Mdn Plate 1200m
GREAT IDEA (2) is a rising six-year-old with just one start on his resume this far; that was on March 9 this year when an eye-catching fourth at Tamworth in a 1200m race at $61. Resurfaced at Scone on June 25 winning a 1000m trial. Good draw, Grant Buckley rides, nice race for him. ANOTHER PEACH (9) has been blessed with what might be a 'winning draw'. She should do no work and thus have no excuses if she can't run up to her best from box three. Mack Griffith's local SILENT ACE (6) is a massive watch.
Bet: Great Idea each-way
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RACE 3: XXXX Cup (Bm82) 1400m
LOCKDOWN GAMBLE (1) has won seven times with six placings in his 31 starts. He is of course trained here at Mudgee where his record at this track and trip is rather impressive; five runs, one win and two thirds. The win was in an 82 and the thirds were in the Mudgee Cup and the CDRA Championships Qualifier. ZULFIQAR (2) was scratched from the Midway at Rosehill to run here. Hasn't been far away his last two. MEDINAH (7) is a Mack Griffith-trained local whose own record at the Mudgee 1400m is almost faultless being three starts for two wins. FLORINO (3) should be very prominent in the run from that alley.
Bet: Lockdown Gamble to win
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RACE 4: Goree Super Mdn Hcp 1400m
LAST LALIQUE (1) is a half-sister to stablemate Dollar Magic. This three-year-old daughter of Star Witness has raced three times so far for a fifth, a fourth and lastly a third, that one at Scone when closing off willingly. That was 1300m, this is 1400m. How perfect could it be. GHAZNAVI (5) remains winless after 16 starts but he has placed five times; two of them have been since he joined the Cameron Crockett. He does look to be getting close but we've said that before. BONNIE AND BRUCE (2) can figure.
Bet: Last Lalique to win
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RACE 5: Oriental Hotel (Bm66) 1200m
CHICO CASINO (8) is a handy horse. The Dean Mirfin-trained four-year-old was an easy winner on debut at home. His record as it stands is 15 starts for two wins and nine seconds, four of them are seconds. We should also point out that he ran in the 2025 CDRA Qualifier and wasn't awful either. Drawn wide but has Aaron Bullock to assist. Stablemate DE FORERUNNER (1) has raced at Mudgee twice for a win and a third. He is the top-rater in the race which has to count for something and the trial was a beauty. GRINS (4), CHAMPERS GIRL (10) and VOIGNER (3) are in medal contention.
Bet: Chico Casino to win, Daily Double 1st Leg 8, 2nd Leg 2
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RACE 6: Bisec Hcp (C1) 1200m
RED SPECTOR (6) is one of the handful of progeny of Red Henno to have raced so far and all of them can gallop. None better, or faster, than this Jake Hull-trained three-year-old who was just so impressive when he won that 1205m maiden at Coffs Harbour on December 30. Brilliant again in his June 16 trial. PRESSNELL (2), the horse named in honour of the great man himself (Max) has his first run at Mudgee after some tidy efforts away from home. Has plenty of wins in him. WILD SENSATION (5) has drawn well and is in good shape off a recent second at Nowra.
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THE IMPECKABLE (2) sent out signs that a win was imminent when he came from well back at the 400m to finish third in a 1400m Benchmark 58 at Tamworth on June 16. That was second-up so it stands to logic that he should be at his peak now for this very suitable race. Gets Chad Lever, good draw and 1400m. PODCAST (3) wasn't too bad in his first Highway attempt at Rosehill on June 14. This is easier of course but made slightly harder than it could have been given a very wide draw, Still, he gets back anyway and has Aaron Bullock to help out.
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