| What | Mooloolaba Cup Day 2021 |
| Where | Corbould Park Racecourse – 170 Pierce Avenue, Caloundra QLD 4551 |
| When | Saturday, November 20, 2021 |
| First Race | 12:03pm AEST |
| Feature Race | Swiss Ace Plate (Race 7) |
| Watch Live | |
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Streaming Live at Sportsbet |
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It’s Mooloolaba Cup Day up on the Sunshine Coast, so HorseBetting’s Queensland form analyst has picked out his best bets and quaddie numbers for the nine-race metropolitan meeting at Corbould Park this Saturday. The track is rated a Soft 5, while the rail is in the true position for the entire course. The first race of the afternoon is scheduled to jump at 12:03pm AEST, with the featured Swiss Ace Plate going at 3:48pm and the Mooloolaba Cup set to run at 4:28pm.
Swiss Ace Plate – Shooting For Gold
The feature race is a deadest cracker over 1000m, with the likes of Zoustyle, Shooting For Gold, Garibaldi, Totally Charmed and The Move all lining up in their first run for their respective preparations. There looks to be plenty of speed on paper, which is only going to aid the Steven O’Dea & Matthew Hoysted-trained Shooting For Gold in his bid to make it four consecutive wins. The son of Shooting To Win has won seven of his 11 starts, two of which came when fresh, which is a big help in what is one of his biggest tests to date. Drawn out in barrier 10, Boris Thornton will settle down in the second half of the field and allow the chestnut to let down with his scintillating turn of foot in the final stages. His only trial was terrific leading up, so if he can continue his form from last campaign, he can win this.
Mooloolaba Cup – Way Beyond
Local galloper Way Beyond may not have the class of some of these runners, but he does possess a serious love for his home track. The Stuart Kendrick-trained four-year-old won back-to-back races here in October over 1800m and 1600m, before that streak came to an end when fourth at Eagle Farm on November 6 over 1840m. The drop in distance from 1800m to 1600m has worked in the past for this son of Spill The Beans, so we are tipping that this has been a planned assault on one of the stable’s hometown Cup races. The gelding has drawn wide in barrier 14 for Leah Kilner, but he tends to get back in his races anyway, so watch for him doing his best work late. Getting in with the minimum weight, he looks over the odds to win his fifth race at the Sunshine Coast.
Best Bet at Sunshine Coast – Rayjen
In what is an open three-year-old race over 1600m, we are confident there is a false favourite here in Caboche, despite an impressive 6.5-length win in maiden grade on November 2. We are siding once again with Rayjen, who is looking for back-to-back wins after she justified favouritism on November 6 at Eagle Farm. The Robert Heathcote filly has form around Hinged which reads very well in the form guide, while her own will to win stands her out in what is a below-par crop of three-year-olds in Queensland. This daughter of So You Think is bred to get a trip, so her first look at 1600m should be right up her alley. Drawn in barrier five under Taylor Marshall, Rayjen should land in the box seat and get every conceivable chance of winning her third race at start five.
Next Best at Sunshine Coast – Avocado Sunset
A swag of Central Queensland gallopers have made the six-hour trip south for this No Metro Wins Handicap over 1000m, and while there are plenty of talented speedsters in this bunch, there are none better than Avocado Sunset. The Jared Wehlow-trained gelding comes into this on the back of three consecutive wins at Mackay, leading all of the way in each. The four-year-old son of Deep Field has been working through the grades nicely and now gets his shot at metropolitan racing with only 53.5kg on his back after Jaden Lloyd’s 2kg allowance; that’s 6kg less than his last-start win. Avocado Sunset only knows one way and that is to lead, so we are hopeful that he doesn’t cop too much heat from the likes of Lepreezy, Aleysa’s Dream and Iolite. Barrier two gives this six-time winner every chance.
Best Value at Sunshine Coast – Dune Forty Five
Tony Haydon and Michael Cahill combine in the fifth race of the day with promising stayer Dune Forty Five, who slides into the final field after the scratching of Sugar Buzz. The four-year-old gelding was a dominant winner at the Sunshine Coast first-up on November 7, defeating Better Lad and Torowoto by 1.3 lengths over 1400m. The son of Melbourne Cup winner Americain is bred to stay and has shown it in all of his nine starts, but in saying that, both of his wins have come over the 1400m, which he faces again on Saturday. Barrier six looks perfect on paper, as he will be able to settle in the first two pairs and really stretch out in the concluding stages. He had to race wide without cover for much of his first-up race and still won doggedly, so any cover and an ounce of luck in this can see him return to the winner’s stall. This is a horse to follow this preparation as he gets out towards 2000m.
Sunshine Coast quaddie tips for Mooloolaba Cup Day
| Sunshine Coast quadrella selections | |
|---|---|
| Leg 1: | 1-2-3-8-12 |
| Leg 2: | 2-4-7-8-9 |
| Leg 3: | 1-2-5-16 |
| Leg 4: | 1-6-8-10 |
| Investment: | $400 for 100% |
