FIVE-year-old Gosford mare Bettabet Red ticks all the boxes to be hard to beat in the $17,000 St Johns Park Bowling Club Taree Cup Prelude Benchmark 70 Handicap over 1624m at Bushland Drive Racecourse, Taree, on Tuesday.
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The Fred Cowell-trained galloper has won three races and been runner-up in four starts at the track,has won two at the distance, one at the track from one try,has drawn well and is nicely weighted at the meeting conducted by Taree Wingham Race Club.
What is more apprentice Alena Skerrit takes a three kilo claim and is the rider who has posted all of the mare’s wins and will be keen to keep the record in place in a comeback from injury in a horse fall.
Cowell has used Skerrit to educate the mare from early on in her apprenticeship and has been effusive in his praise for her riding skills as she progressed.
It is no secret that he and Skerrit love coming to Taree as the track always gives the trainer a win or something to take home by way of prizemoney.
Bettabet Red had a spell while Skerrit was recovering and at its first run back it was fifth to Dylan’s Rojo over 1300m at Newcastle on July 25,having been beaten 1.7 lengths.
The only query will be stepping up to 1624m second up but Cowell is a master in getting horses ready to show their best.
Some of the mare’s biggest dangers are emergencies and will be relying on scratchings to get a start,two which are in that boat and are keen to get starts for preparations towards the $60,000 Stacks Law Firm Taree Gold Cup over 2000m on August 23 are Port Macquarie six-year-old gelding New Divide, trained by Tas Morton and Halfway To Heaven, trained at Taree by Bob Haire with Robert Thompson given as the jockey.
At this stage Bettabet Red’s biggest danger could be five-year-old gelding Unique, trained at Broadmeadow by leading trainer Kris Lees and to be ridden by in-form apprentice Rachel King who claims 2.5 kilos.
As it is, Unique will have to give Bettabet Red 7kgs and this may be too much.
However, Unique has a second to its name over 1800m at Randwick and three wins from seven tries at the distance.
It resumed for a 12th (16.3 lengths) to Forget over 1400m at Warwick Farm on July 1 and has had plenty of time to regain form for this.
Taree five-year-old mare Marmaduke’s Lady, trained by Pablo Shultz, was doing its best work when an unlucky eighth to Kareem’s Edge over 1600m at Taree on July 24 and has a touch of class to say she can figure under the hands of jockey Glenn Lynch.
Taree seven-year-old gelding Rapidus, trained by Bindi Cheers, won three races in a row here, Grafton and Ballina before being outclassed by Bonfire in the Grafton Cup over 2350m last month and has been given a freshen-up for this at a journey he won at not so long ago.
First emergency New Divide and Halfway To Heaven are definite chances should they get starts as both have a touch of class and have good recent form.
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RACE 1: No Mon No Fun 1, Alaskan Wolf 2, Floral Champagne 3.
RACE 2: Me No Mash Potato 1, Mitchforce 2, Art Attack 3.
RACE 3: Fox Creek 1, Onemoreamore 2, Plain ‘N’ Simple 3.
RACE 4: Portatorio 1, Saaher 2, Three Diamonds 3.
RACE 5: Bandit Bay 1, Pinneux 2, Rio De Janeira 3.
RACE 6: Poetic Debate 1, One More Knight 2, Akamin 3.
RACE 7: Bettabet Red 1, Unique 2, Marmaduke’s Lady 3.
RACE 8: Shalama 1, Flick Pass 2, Ruling Queen 3.
