The Gosford stand-alone meeting will be held this Saturday (7th May). The course proper was rated a Heavy 8 on Thursday and with mainly fine weather leading up to the weekend, Gosford will be racing on a Soft track on raceday.
The New Zealand visitor Marroni will go close in winning the Gosford Gold Cup (Gosford Race 7, 2080m). The 5YO gelding had won back to back races before his spell and he failed to run on when he resumed back in March. He crossed the Tasman in late March and did well to finished 3rd in the Group 3 Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m) on a Heavy 10 track before an 8th in the JRA Plate. Marroni handles any track conditions and staying at 2000m should suit. Jason Collett will go forward and settle just behind the leaders and Marroni will be ready to pounce rounding the home turn.
Godolphin-owned Gravina looks the testing material in the Takeover Target Stakes (Gosford Race 8, 1200m). This Sebring gelding won brilliantly when first-up over 1200m at Randwick on a Heavy 10 track before a good 3rd in the Group 3 Maurice McCarten Stakes. And he finished a close 4th last start in the Star Kingdom Stakes. The 4YO has a good record on Soft track and 1200m is his pet distance with all his four career victories came from six furlong races. Sam Clipperton will take over the rein on Saturday and from barrier 8, Gravina will sit just behind the leading bunch and he is the horse they have to beat.
Top weight Our Playboy is the best horse in The Coast and he should race accordingly (Gosford Race 9, 1600m). The 5YO has superior wet track form winning five races with two 2nds from eight starts on Soft and Heavy tracks. And he has not finished worse than 2nd over 1600m. Three weeks ago, he took out a BM100 handicap (1400m) at Randwick, beating The Kosciuszko winner Art Cadeau. Fourth-up on Saturday, Our Playboy is peaking over the mile. Drawn beautifully in barrier 5, Tim Clark will settle behind the pace with a cozy run and Our Playboy is going to be too good for this field.
By Owens Wong, Editor
