Sunshine Coast full racing preview & best bets | May 6, 2023
| What | Coast To Coast Raceday |
| Where | Sunshine Coast Turf Club |
| When | Saturday, May 6, 2023 |
| First Race | 1:08pm AEST |
Due to the Gold Coast Turf Club track being renovated, the day previously known as Hollindale Stakes Day that has been renamed Coast To Coast Raceday, will be held at the Sunshine Coast Turf Club. The nine-race card is jam packed with three Listed races and three Group races, with the highlight events being the Group 2 A.D. Hollindale Stakes and Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas. The track is currently rated a Soft 5, however, with no rain on the forecast for Saturday, we should be racing on a perfect Good 4 surface for the entire program. The rail will go back into the True position for the biggest day of racing on their calendar taking place this Saturday, to ensure that we get a fair track for racing all day.
The action out of the Sunshine Coast Turf Club will kick off at 1:08pm AEST.
Keep reading for our free race-by-race preview and quaddie selections
Race 1: Bat Out Of Hell (850m)
The opening race on Coast To Coast Raceday will be an 850m scamper, where the speedsters will do battle in the Bat Out Of Hell, and we will be siding with the Tony Gollan-trained Le Palmier. This son of Spirit Of Boom will be returning to the racetrack this Saturday, looking to keep his 100% placing record at his eighth first-up start. Drawing barrier nine over 850m, could be his downfall, but with his record over 850m and 900m, we expect Le Palmier to have enough speed to overcome the wide barrier and hold out his rivals in the final 200m of the race. James Orman will be looking for his first win on this six-year-old gelding at his third attempt.
1
LE PALMIER
- 4
GOLDSBOROUGH
- 5
ARCHER’S PARADOX
- 10
PERSEIDS
Race 2: Benchmark 78 Handicap (2400m)
We go from a short course scamper to a long-distance staying event in the second race, with a Benchmark 78 Handicap over 2400m set to be run and won. The progressive Al Aabir from the Chris Waller yard looks to be the one to beat here, as he attempts the 2400m for the second time in his career, seeking a much better result after finishing eighth of nine at Warwick Farm on October 12, beaten by 20 lengths at his only try at the trip. This four-year-old gelding has been very good this preparation, winning his first two starts before running second last start over 1815m at Eagle Farm on April 15. This son of Sea The Stars is bred to get over a staying distance and he has struck a race fourth-up where a number of his rivals appear to be suspect at the trip or aren’t going as well as he is this time in.
- 3
AL AABIR
- 6
APPLICATIONS
- 1
STUCK WITH YOU
- 5
SCARLET TUFTY
Race 3: Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m)
The first of the black type races will come up in race three, with the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet over 1800m seeing a full field of 16 three-year-old Fillies clash, where we will be siding with the Bjorn Baker-trained Renaissance Woman. This daughter of Reliable Man will be second-up on Saturday, after returning in the Group 3 James H B Carr Stakes at Randwick over 1400m on April 15, where she didn’t appreciate the bottomless Heavy track and 1400m is too short for her to show her best. Last preparation, this Baker and his team gave their filly a run over 1400m and 1600m before she produced her career peak in the Group 3 Ethereal Stakes over 2000m at Caulfield during the Victorian Spring Carnival. This time in, Renaissance Woman has been given one tough run at 1400m, which should have her nearing peak fitness for this 1800m contest at the Sunshine Coast on the weekend.
- 3
RENAISSANCE WOMAN
- 4
STREET GOSSIP
- 10
SEQUESTERED
- 8
COMPASS ROSE
Race 4: Group 3 Ken Russell Memorial Classic (1200m)
One of our better bets on the program will come up in the Group 3 Ken Russell Memorial Classic where we will be siding with the ultra-impressive Russian Alliance. The Kevin Kemp-trained two-year-old filly boasts a very impressive career record of four wins from five starts, and she has now won four-in-a-row this preparation, with her last win at Doomben in a QTIS 2YO Handicap being the most impressive of her victories to date. This daughter of Russian Revolution settled in the back half of the field at her most recent start, and as soon as Larry Cassidy got her off the inside running rail and got into the clear, she started to eat up the ground and within 100m she made up over five lengths on the leader to run away with an arrogant 1.3 length victory over Salt Lake Betty. Larry Cassidy will stick with this filly at her toughest test to date, and if he can have Russian Alliance settled a couple of lengths off the leaders and off the rail, she should prove too strong for her rivals in the concluding stages of the race.
- 13
RUSSIAN ALLIANCE
- 10
INFLUENTIAL
- 12
TRIFLING
- 3
ROTHGO
Next Best Bet
Race 4 – 
#13 Russian Alliance (4)
2yo Filly | T: Kevin Kemp | J: Larry Cassidy (55kg)
Race 5: Listed Silk Stocking (1400m)
Our best bet of the day will be Tycoon Evie from the Peter & Paul Snowden yard, as she drops back from Group 3 level at her last two starts, to run in the Listed Silk Stocking on Saturday at the Sunshine Coast Turf Club. This five-year-old mare has finished second in the Group 3 Winona Girl Quality at Randwick first-up, before running fourth at her most recent start in the Group 3 Hawkesbury Crown, which is superior form compared to her rivals that she will clash with in this race. The daughter of Written Tycoon will be third-up this weekend, and she has proven throughout her career that she performs very well at her third start for the preparation, recording three wins from five third-up starts. Tycoon Evie will get the services of James McDonald for the first time in her career, and if McDonald can give her a good steer and keep her out of trouble, we expect her to prove too good for this field.
- 1
TYCOON EVIE
- 6
KATALIN
- 9
ESSONE
- 12
TICK TOCK QUEEN
Best Bet
Race 5 – 
#1 Tycoon Evie (6)
5yo Mare | T: Peter & Paul Snowden | J: James McDonald (58kg)
Race 6: Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas (1200m)
One of the highlight events of the day will be the Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas for the three-year-olds, and we will be siding with the Tony & Maddysen Sears-trained Yellow Brick, who will be seeking his sixth win at start number eight. This three-year-old gelding went to a new level last preparation, where he took out the inaugural edition of the $750,000 King Of The Mountain at Toowoomba before finishing as the runner-up in the Magic Million 3YO Guineas, being beaten by Fashion Legend by a long neck after getting no luck in the home straight. This son of The Mission has returned this time in with a very comfortable 1.25 length trial victory at Doomben on April 11. Ben Thompson will be legged aboard on Saturday for his sixth ride, and he will be seeking his fourth win on this three-year-old. With very little speed expected in the Gold Coast Guineas, Yellow Brick should be able to jump and take up the lead with Lady Laguna, and we anticipate those two leaders to fight out the finish.
- 2
YELLOW BRICK
- 12
LADY LAGUNA
- 3
SWISS EXILE
- 8
LUBRICATION
Race 7: Group 2 A.D. Hollindale Stakes (1800m)
This year’s edition of the Group 2 A.D. Hollindale Stakes will see the Annabel Neasham-trained Zaaki attempt to win the race for the third straight year. Neasham has given her star eight-year-old gelding a longer break after his spring campaign, as his two trials in January and February were underwhelming, which saw Neasham and send the reigning Group 1 VRC Champions Stakes winner to the paddock for two months. When first-up this time in, the son of Leroidesanumaux was very brave as he sat off the speed and challenged Giga Kick in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes until the star three-year-old booted clear and beat him by 1.8 lengths on the line. Now that he steps up to 1800m second-up in the Hollindale, Zaaki looks to be the clear top pick with James McDonald sticking after last start.
- 1
ZAAKI
- 14
ATISHU
- 9
BANKERS CHOICE
- 6
SKYMAN
Race 8: Listed Australian Turf Club Trophy (1200m)
The last of the black type races will be the Listed Australian Turf Club Trophy over 1200m, where we have landed with Brigantine on top as he returns from a five-month spell, with the benefit of two trials over 780m and 1050m at Randwick. The lethal combination of James Cummings and James McDonald will once again link up for this race, with this son of Astern, who will be looking to keep his solid first-up record intact (3:2-0-0) when he takes on this race fresh for this campaign. This four-year-old gelding has a good record at the 1200m, where hasn’t finished outside of the placings in two tries, including one win. McDonald will have to make up his mind early on Saturday, as this gelding has drawn barrier 18 of 19, and there appears to be only two speed influences in the race. If McDonald can get Brigantine to jump well and push forward, he should get every chance to kick off his campaign with a win.
- 13
BRIGANTINE
- 5
FAR TOO EASY
- 2
PALAISIPAN
- 10
THE BIG GOODBYE
Race 9:Benchmark 85 Handicap (1600m)
Our value bet of the day will come up in the very last race, as the Brent Gray-trained Mississippi Prince will go around in the Benchmark 85 Handicap over 1600m, where he will be looking to amend his last start failure in a Benchmark 90 Handicap at Doomben over 1350m on April 22. This four-year-old gelding has proven that he isn’t a second-up performer, as he has only one placing from two career second-up starts during his career to date. This son of Foxwedge went onto win four straight starts in a row last preparation and now that he is stepping up in distance to 1600m for the second time, he appears ready to replicate his winning streak from his previous preparation. Mark Du Plessis has retained the ride for his third straight ride, and if he can find the lead or settle outside leader, Mississippi Prince should give us a great run for our money at double figure odds with online bookmakers.
- 7
MISSISSIPI PRINCE
- 3
AUSSIE NUGGET
- 4
ROUSSEAU
- 15
THE DROVER
Best Value
Race 9 – 
#7 Mississippi Prince (14)
4yo Gelding | T: Brent Gray | J: Mark Du Plessis (58kg)
Saturday quaddie tips for Coast To Coast Raceday
Sunshine Coast quadrella selections
Saturday, May 6, 2023
- 2-3-12
- 1-14
- 2-5-7-10-13-17
- 3-4-7-15
Investment: $144 for 100%