Cool Drinks a red-hot chance on tough Hawkesbury surface

The market might not be in his corner, but an emerging three-year-old that has not started since an under-the-radar debut 10 weeks ago is set to star at Thursday’s Hawkesbury meeting.

Cool Drinks, a gelding by Kiwi sire Cool Aza Beel, in the Randwick stable of John O’Shea and Tom Charlton, was as much as $11 in early betting for a competitive Super Maiden Hcp over 1300m. Yet, on a surface that is likely to be downgraded deep into the soft range with plenty of rain in the 24 hours leading up to the race, he emerges as one of the value options at a wide-open meeting.

Randwick trainer John O’Shea.Credit: Getty Images

Cool Drinks caught the eye late when having his first run in a two-year-old maiden at Wyong on a soft 7 a month into winter.

From last on the turn and covering plenty of ground, he picked up strong late and finished only a little more than two lengths from the smart Sapling, which then ran well next start in a deeper Saturday field at Randwick.

And further franking the form out of that race, second-placed Tequisoda then roared home to win next start at Hawkesbury, while third-placed Fabres also hit the line impressively in his next two outings.

It is encouraging for Cool Drinks, which has been given two improving trials, and fitted to run the same journey out strong, settling well off the speed with cover.

His high-class and lightly raced sire, Cool Aza Beel, bolted home in the group 1 Sistema over 1200m at Auckland’s Ellerslie track back in the autumn of 2020.

The race also provides a debut for exciting Scone-based mare Andale Andale from the Lyle Chandler yard. A speedy daughter of group 1 star All Too Hard, Andale Andale has won both her lead-up trials on wet tracks in convincing fashion, and opened on the top line of betting about $4.80.

Loading

Meanwhile, Hawkesbury also serves up the ideal race for talented and progressive four-year-old Andron from the Hawkes camp at Rosehill.

A powerful son of Pierro, Andron is out to make it two wins from just three starts stepping up to the mile in a class 1 handicap after finishing best in very heavy ground to win on debut at Kembla. He opened a pronounced favourite, and will likely head towards metropolitan midweek company if he puts this field to the sword.

Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au

Most Viewed in Sport

Loading