The John Sargent trained gelding will go around as a short-priced favourite in the Julius Flooring Handicap over 2000m against a paltry half dozen others.

None of them come close to matching Equipped’s CV, which includes a recent five-lengths fifth of 12 at Rosehill behind Sky Boy.

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BEST BETS WITH SHAYNE O’CASS: HAWKESBURY

BEST BET

Race 2 No.2: Equipped

Far and away the best performed horse in the staying race. Despite his Class 2 status, Equipped has placed 16 times from his 26 starts and often against infinitely superior horses than what he meets today. Sky Boy is a recent example! Entitled to win.

NEXT BEST

Race 1 No.1: Cinquedea

Was run off the track from his wide gate on debut at Canterbury on November 30. Forget he even turned up there. Drawn 1 of 10 this time and all of his trials have indicated that he has talent well above a provincial maiden.

VALUE

Race 3 No.1: Bad Boy For Love

Has had two runs for Joe Pride, one of those was a second placing here. Now housed (locally) with Matthew Vella and his trials have been extremely encouraging. Go well.

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Quality apprentice Robbie Dolan only has four rides today but surely Equipped with a 4-point free kick in the TAB Jockeys Challenge and one of his other rides, Vincero, might take his tally to 8.

QUADDIE

Race 4: 1, 2, 3, 6 Race 5: 1, 3, 4, 6

Race 6: 1, 4, 5, 7 Race 7: 2, 5, 9

SCROLL DOWN FOR SHAYNE O’CASS’S FULL FORM

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Immediately after that, the five-year-old ground away for a third on the Kensington Track behind the Chris Waller trained Mazaz.

“I have put him in (Sunday’s race) really to top him off for a race on Boxing Day at Randwick, so I just thought given he is still a class 2 horse, this would be a nice race for him,’’ Sargent said.

“And we have renovations at Randwick at the moment with the Proride going in so we don’t have a lot of galloping tracks so I think it’s just as good to go to the races and give him a nice hit out there which will keep him nice and forward for Boxing Day. We claim a couple of kilos on him, he is in good form and has been close to them in a higher grade so he should be hard to beat there on Sunday,’’ Sargent said.

“He’s been right around it lately but we just want to get his confidence up and get a win with him and hopefully he can go on with it. He seems to be very well in himself.

“Robbie (Dolan) has ridden him before and is riding very well. He’s going to ride him on Sunday and is booked for Boxing Day too.’’

Equipped is superbly bred gelding being by More Than Ready out of the Zabeel mare, Zona, the dam of VRC Oaks winner Faint Perfume.

There is no better trainer of classic fillies in this country than Sargent who may well have another one at his High Street HQ in the shape of Deliya who lines up in the JSJ Roofing Maiden Plate (1600m).

“A bit of rain about will suit her but also the mile, she’s crying out for a bit more ground. If it is a hard run mile then she’ll get home,’’ Sargent said.

“Jason Collett said he had to go back from the draw (last start) but with any kind of barrier she’d be handier so we hope to be in the first half of the field at least (today) and hopefully it is a staying test.’’

“f she can get a win we’ll give her a break and then maybe look at the winter in Queensland with her.’’

Deliya is a member of one of The Aga Khan’s innumerable classic families, starting with her dam — Delisha — who is a half sister to the French Derby winner, Darsi.

Deliya has drawn barrier one and will be partnered by Jay Ford.

VELLA CONFIDENT ON HAWKESBURY DUO

Trainer Matthew Vella is extremely happy with his two runners at Hawkesbury believing I’m A Legend and Bad Boy For Love are both going well enough to win.

Unfortunately, they come up against each other in the Ridgewater Plumbing Maiden Handicap (1100m).

“I’m confident they are both winning chances. I’m just disappointed they are both in the same race but that’s the way it is,” Matthew Vella said.

“I would have liked to have separated them but the owners wanted them to run in this particular race so that’s where they are going.

“Brad Widdup’s horse (Schnapps) is probably the hardest to beat but I expect both my horses to run very well.

“Both horses are genuine chances.”

I’m A Legend and Bad Boy For Love are both having their first starts for Vella today, having previously been prepared by other trainers but he has quite a good knowledge of the pair.

“I do all the breaking in and pre-training of horses for both sets of owners so I’ve actually had them through the stables quite a few times before they moved on to the other trainers,” he said.

“This time the owners left them here.

I’m A Legend, a $225,000 Easter Yearling Sale purchase in 2016, placed in six of his seven starts under the care of Randwick horseman Les Bridge and is a little unlucky not to have broken his maiden status already after several close loses including a short neck second to Monsieur Sisu at Canterbury in June after blundering at the starts and being blocked for a run on straightening.

At his next two starts, he was a long head second to Bobbing a Hawkesbury and a half-length runner-up to Resonare at Canterbury.

Since becoming a permanent member of Vella’s team, the four-year-old son of Nicconi has trialled twice at Hawkesbury where he has placed in both.

Bad Boy For Love, a $14,000 buy from the Inglis Great Southern Bloodstock and Weanling Sale, has only had two career starts and finished runner-up behind Broom Broom as favourite on a heavy track at Hawkesbury in June before a spell.

Like his stablemate, he too has trialled twice at Hawkesbury finishing just behind the placegetters.

“They both have trialled very well,” Vella said.

“I don’t really test them out in trials too much, they just worked nicely to the line hard held.”

— By Adam Sherry

INSIDE MAIL WITH SHAYNE O’CASS: HAWKESBURY

RACE 1

Cinquedea had trialled extremely well on a number of occasions prior to his debut at a Canterbury night meeting on November 30. Once he drew 10 of 10 it was always going to make it hard for him, more so, when he got taken right out off the track almost immediately after the start. From there he had no chance, and it was a total forgive and forget run. The horse has drawn gate 1 tomorrow which will help him no end. Nuclear Burst is a Kim Waugh trained gelding who has finished runner-up at three of his four starts and was fourth to Cloak at the other so has a terrific C.V. Trialled twice for twice, both good, the last one was in fact very good. Has placed on heavy. Hemsted is a Godoplhin 3YO who ran fourth to Rosina Kojonup before a distant third on a soft 6 at Wyong. Has claims.

Bet strategy: Cinquedea win, exacta 1 to beat 3

RACE 2

The John Sargent trained Equipped is sure to start a short priced favourite given that his form has the depth than none of his rivals come close to. For example, Equipped was fifth to Sky Boy recently and was not at all far away from Mazaz in towneither. He is out of a Zabeel mare that has thrown VRC Oaks winner Faint Perfume so his staying credentials are obvious. He is being set for a race at Randwick on Boxing Day and if he is going to win that, then he ought to bowl these over. RolandGaros is a lightly raced Helmet son from the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable who have a great strike rate here in Sydney.This Kathy O’Hara mount has won up to 2000m and should place. Russian Express is a locally trained mare who has found a racewhere she could easily run second or third in. 3. Kuiper Belt has quite reasonable wet form.

Bet strategy: Equipped win

RACE 3

Rock Zone deserves some reward for effort and it might well be today. The son of All Too Hard has finished second at his last two outings, the most recent was when he chased home the Chris Waller trained Welsh Legend in a 1550m at Canterbury on November30. Welsh Legend is a talent so no disgrace is defeat on Rock Zone’s part. It’s only 50m more, but the mile on the big track today does surely play to his advantage. If he can’t win today, he might never. That said, it’s a handy field. Estroverto is a handy type from the Snowden yard. This son of Pierro was bred and is raced by Pierro’s owners Greg and Donna Kolivos who have watched their charge ripping home at all three starts to date. His lone run at the mile so far was a fourth at Warwick Farm to Tarka which reads well. Of the rest, the John Sargent trained filly Deliya is crying out for the mile and looks ahandy type for the future.

Bet strategy: Rock Zone win, quinella 5,7, box trifecta 5,7,9

RACE 4

A good race. I have been waiting for Bad Boy For Love to step out again on raceday given what he did last campaign with Joe Pride and now in his two trials for new trainer, Matthew Vella. This handsome son of Wanted was spelled and changes camps since that one run last preparation when beaten here by Broom Broom whom trainer Jason Coyle has always had a good opinion of. Take note that the track that day was a Heavy 8. Vella has given Bad Boy For Love two trials and they have been super encouraging. The only negative is that he’s bumping into a pretty promising type in Schnapps. This Brad Widdup trained local is by Snitzel and was spelled after his debut fourth at Warwick Farm to Roosevelt no less and he was $4.20 into $3.20 favourite which says a lot about him! Drawn out but whether that matters on the track on the day remains to be seen. I’m A Legend must be included given that he has placed at six of his seven starts and has handled both slow and heavy.

Bet strategy: Bad Boy For Love win, quinella 2,3

RACE 5

One for the Dr Hook fans — Sylvia’s Mother! This Team Hawkes trained daughter of noted wet track sire Snitzel is full of talent and promise. She was third to Ready To Prophet at Warwick Farm on the first day of the new season then came here to Hawkesbury 22 days later and was far too good when winning that 1100m maiden by almost three lengths. She has trialled up for this winning a 900m heat at Rosehill on December 4 narrowly but with plenty of authority. Hard to go past really. Vincero has a great record of seven starts for two wins, two seconds and a third. Have to forgive the only other run too. The Gary Portelli-trained son of Stratum was beaten a mere 0.3-lengths first-up at Gosford and has gone back to the trials since and ran a great second to the aforementioned Ready To Prophet as it happens. Sure to run well today — always does — and he is a soft track winner.Angelo is a local trained on the track by Garry Frazer. A superbly bred son of More Than Ready, this lightly-raced four-year-old is a winner and a runner-up from his three starts, all of them here at his home base. Trialled well — watch for any marketsupport.

Bet strategy: Sylvia’s Mother win, exacta 4 to beat 1, quinella 1,4

RACE 6

Joe Pride is famous for getting the best out of, and improving, horses that come to his stable from no matter where they have been. One of his fairly recent recruits is Lucky Louie who many believe should have won the Gimcrack on debut but that’s anotherstory. This Pluck mare ran in the VRC Oaks and Wakeful under her previous management so she has been up against some good ones. Joe Pride has raced her three times so far for a second, a win and a fourth. That fourth was at Warwick Farm on November28 and we should point out, the win at Newcastle before that was very good. Unplaced in four slow/heavy runs but a Pluck out of a Clang mare should be winning on heavy 10’s! Lady Elizabeth is a Jason Coyle trained daughter of Magic Albert and is rarely far away. So much so, you could make a case for her winning more than she has but whatever you’re opinion is, she does look to get her chance today. Very honest mare. Kathaire is a locally trained mare whose went within a whisker of pulling off a barnstorming win at Orange on November 23. Has placed three out of five runs on slow. Will be steaming home again no doubt.

Bet strategy: Lucky Louis win, quinella 1,5

RACE 7

Charretera is another of the Triple Crown examples of buying good horses for not a lot of money. This horse was sold for $55,000 at the Inglis Classic Yealing Sale. Interestingly, he was bred by Ian Smith who sold Hong Kong idol Silent Witness for exactly that same figure at the Classic in 2001. Sure, Charretera is no Silent Witness but truly he can’t have done much more than what he has done in his two starts namely beaten by a narrow margin on debut by a handy horse than beat a handy horse at his next start at Newcastle. Such a progressive type, you would think that he can string a few together from here and make a trip to the midweeks in quick time. By the way, his third dam, Malt, is the mother of the great Horlicks. Unknown Universe is a Joe Pride trained son of a Galileo mare. Third dam is by Whiskey Road which gives him some epic wet track potential. We will find out about that soon enough. Lightly-raced type who is three starts for a win and two placings and turned in a huge run here last time from the wide gate. Must respect. Playard is a local with some deep form while Barbary will have admirers after his last start second to Poetic Charmer in town. The best wet tracker all day is He’s A Given — he’s a swimmer.

Bet strategy: Charretera win, box first four 1, 2, 3, 5, 9