Chris Scholtz reviews racing around Australia on June 3.

THE STARS

EGG TART: She’s not Winx – not yet anyway – but any fily that can win in four different states in six weeks is very good. It’s not hard to draw some early comparisions with the great one after she made it six straight in the Queensland Oaks as their career paths to this point are so alike.

CHRIS WALLER: Also gets kudos for winning his ninth G1 race of the season to go one clear of Darren Weir. It puts him in the box seat to be Australia’s leading G1 trainer for a record fifth successive season.

She's special!
Egg Tart looms up on the outside and makes it 6-in-a-row with an effortless win in the Queensland Oaks. pic.twitter.com/37GzbzQjD8

— TAB (@tabcomau) June 3, 2017

RACHEL KING: Riding your first city winner is special for any apprentice, then making it a double is a dream. A just reward for the former English lass after doing her time on the provincial and country tracks where she has ridden 71 winners this season. A star on the rise.

THE RACE IS ON: Craig Williams and his young premiership rival Beau Mertens turned on a clinic at Moonee Valley riding five of the nine winners. Sets the stage of a thrilling title race to the end of the season.

TRIPLE TREAT: Honourable mention to Corey Brown with a fine trio at Rosehill. Put him on the right cattle and he will deliver.

THEY SAID IT!

“I like consistency and winning by big margins so I’ll take a conservative approach.” - An insight into the thinking of Chris Waller after Egg Tart’s win in the Queensland Oaks.

"Egg Tart is a fantastic filly. She had a turn of foot to get me out of trouble after we got caught behind some slow ones.” – Egg Tart’s jockey Kerrin McEvoy

“She’s got a heart of a tiger. For a country trainer to get a horse of this quality and to have this mare turn up every time is a pretty rare thing. I don't think I'll get another one quite like her.” – Canberra trainer Nick Olive on his best girl Single Gaze.

"If she makes the Stradbroke field we'd love to have a crack because she's a very talented mare. She's bigger and stronger than she's ever been and horses like her who get into the Stradbroke with a light weight are often good chances. I think she profiles correctly for the race.” – Stable rep Jack Bruce talks about Bonny O’Reilly

"She's a good positive jockey. It's a real talent being able to rate horses well in front. We went out there with a game plan to dictate from in front with the light weight then try and pinch a break and she executed it perfectly." – Trainer Adrian Bott praises apprentice Rachel King

“Gai's usually not too keen to put apprentices on if you can't claim, which is the right thing to do, but she was happy to put trust in me and I was able to repay her.” – Rachel King after her Rosehill double.

"His head wasn't in the right space. He's a talented horse that probably has his head in the right spot now." – Trianer Rober SMerdon dealing with his aptly named ‘head case’ Moonee Valley winner Ability.

"It's a bit of a fight but I'm not going to let it get to my head too much.” – Beau Mertens on his premiership battle with Craig Williams.

She's knows how to win! Bonny O'Reilly takes her record to seven wins from nine starts in the listed Coughlan Stakes at #Doomben! pic.twitter.com/Vs276bbvhy

— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 3, 2017

RIDES OF THE DAY

KERRIN McEVOY: When you are riding a favourite expected to win a Group Ione race the pressure is on. What Pressure? McEvoy was copy book on Egg Tart.

DAMIEN OLIVER: Rolled the dice on the heavily backed Payroll to go for an inside run at the critical stage. Punters should be thankful as it made all the difference at the finish.

TALKING POINTS

ADRIAN BOTT/GAI WATERHOUSE: Is the media flying a kite over a looming split in the still young partnership or is there foundation to the reports? Bott has denied it, but will that be the end of it?

BLACKBOOK

PICK ME UP: Astute stable should find right race for this one during the winter.

FARAWAY TOWN: Good effort first-up. Well placed in winter class on best form.

WALK THE STREETS: Ready to win over a longer trip.

SELITA: Not disgraced behind smart winner. Going well..

INVINCIBLE EXPRESS: Happy to overlook this effort.

HERE TO THERE: Forgive run after having no luck.

TAB BETTING REPORT

DOOMBEN

QUEENSLAND OAKS: Egg Tart was easily the best backed runner in terms of money held ($3.20-$2.90-$3.10) and was responsible for well over half of all bets. Pygmy ($21-$41) and Oklahoma Girl ($9.50-$10-$9) filled the minors. There was a big go on Dawn Wall from $6.50 into $4.20 and the big blow for Kenedna ($5-$8). Dawn Wall had been $7.50 earlier in the week but was crunched into second elect. Kenedna was totally unwanted and blew right out after being $4.60 when Final Field betting commenced.

BETS: Egg Tart $5,000 @ $3

BELMONT: A bet of $90,000 at $1.50 went west when two-year-old filly Mizlecki was well beaten in the WA Day Plate.

ROSEHILL

RACE 1: Silence ($14-$13) caused a big upset. The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained runner held out the unlucky Intrinsic ($4.40-$3.60-$4.40) who didn't find clear running until very late in the home straight. Last Starfighter ($17-$35-$31) ran on from the back to grab third. Kangas Eye, which opened $11 on Wednesday, drifted in betting from $4.60 out to $6 but was still the most popular runner in terms of money taken. It held twice as much as Revenire, Falconic and Intrinsic. There was a move for African Rainbow from $17 in the morning to jump a $9 chance.

BETS: Last Starfighter $1,000 e/w @ $35/$8.35

RACE 2: Favourite backers were floored when New Universe failed to fill a place. The hot favourite drifted late from $1.95 out to $2.35 but still commanded the lion's share of investments with a 44 percent hold. Punters had backed Test The World from $11 into $8 earlier in the week but it was on the drift to start $13. Arbeitsam's firmed dramatically from $6 into $3.70.

BETS: New Universe $8,650 @ $2.25, $5,500 @ $2.20

RACE 3: Cottage ($12-$14) benefitted from having a good run just off the speed to beat the well tried Reiby Rampart ($11-$6.50). Labdien ($6-$7) was third just in front of the hot favourite Dagny ($2.30-$2.80). The support for Reiby Rampart was keen late and while Dagny was a drifter, it was still 10 times as popular as the next best supported which was Wahng Wah ($5).

BETS: Dagny $2,000 @ $2.80 TWICE

RACE 4: Zamex landed a big blow. As much as $6 was on offer when the market opened on Wednesday but punters shopped early and $3.20 was best on offer race morning. Zamex jumped at $3.30 and held just over half of all bets on the race. He beat Call The Captain ($18-$26) while Cliff ran on to grab third ($9-$8.50).

BETS: Zamex $5,000 @ $3.40

RACE 5: Just Dreaming ($5-$4.80-$5) was the money horse and did the job for its backers. Held more than double the amount of money than any other runner. Proved too strong for Uptown Lad ($21-$17) with the well tried Walk The Street ($8-$5.50). Volpe was $9 to $6.50, had a good run but didn't finish off.

BETS: Just Dreaming $1,000 @ $5

RACE 6:

One of the best betting moves of the day came off here with Firsthand saluting in a tight finish. Opening at $6.50, Firsthand was crunched from $4.20 into $3.70 in the last 20 minutes. Girl Sunday ($5.50-$4.20-$5) was backed early but the money dried up late thanks to the big support for Firsthand.

BETS: Girl Sunday $10,000 @ $4.80; Firsthand $2,000 @ $4.20, $3,800 @ $3.60

RACE 7: Supply And Demand led and was never threatened after he was backed from $4.60 into $3.40. Tucanchoo ($8.50) was the only one taking significant ground off the winner at the finish while Alegria ($9-$14-$11) finished off nicely for third. Montauk ($7-$5.50) ran on to get fourth and had its usual share of support. So Willie, the one-time favourite, was a drifter from $3.40 to $4

BETS: Supply And Demand $10,000 @ $3.70; Montauk $10,000 @ $5.50

RACE 8: Royal Tudor came with a booming run down the outside. He was $10 into $6 at one point in the betting but jumped a $7 chance and held off the fast-finishing Sir Bacchus ($6-$5.50). The disappointment yet again from a betting point of view was Snoopy ($4.20-$3.90-$4.40) who held more than twice as much money as any other runner. Overall, he held 45 percent of all bets on the race.

BETS: Snoopy $3,000 e/w @ $4.60/$1.85

RACE 9: Louie Sea Kay ($8) landed some good bets in winning the last. Solid in the market for most of the day, Louie Sea Kay was the best supported runner to beat the favourite Dreamforce in terms of money. Dreamforce was $4.50 into as low as $2.80 before getting back out to $3.50 at the jump.

BETS: Dreamforce $5,000 @ $3.70; Louie Sea Kay $3,000 x $500 e/w @ $8/$2.55

MOONEE VALLEY

RACE 1: Wanted Diva ($4.80-$4.20-$4.60) enjoyed the benefit of a good run to narrowly get the money from the fast-finishing Behave ($6-$5.50) while the very popular Wired ($4.20) ran third. The second and third placegetters held more than the winner. The trio held nearly 80 percent of the market.

BETS: Behave $11,000 @ $5.50

RACE 2: Whistle Baby defied ae betting drift ($4.50-$6) and put paid to her rivals. Telopea, $4.60 to $5.50, ran second while Foreign Affair ($15-$21) wound up third. Grey Street ($3.60-$4.60) had its fair share of admirers while Swiss Kiss firmed late from $9 into $6.50. Whistle Baby was the second best supported runner in terms of money held behind Grey Street.

BETS: Grey Street $10,000 @ $4.20; Whistle Baby $1,000 @ $4.50

RACE 3: Ability ($7-$5-$4.60) was the best supported runner to beat the favourite and the money proved to spot on. TAB went up $7 earlier in the week and money began to flow as soon as the market opened. He was $5 into $4.60 and swept past the leaders to win running away from Orujo ($16-$34-$31). Core Beach ($8-$13-$12) wound up third in front of the favourite Miss Vista, who accounted for 47 percent of the total investment. She held three times the money that the winner did. El Sicario attracted a fair bit of attention at the $4.20.

BETS: Ability $1,000 @ $7; $1000 @ $5.50, $2,000 e/w @ $4.40/$1.80; Miss Vista $6,700 @ $4.20; El Sicario $15,000 @ $4.60

RACE 4: Greviste ($4.60-$4.20) swept past the heavily backed The Passage. Most of the money was on the runner-up who went around as one of the best backed runners anywhere in Australia all day. The Passage was crunched into $2.70 after $4.60 was available on Wednesday. Rank outsider A Moving Place ($51-$201) ran a big third. What A Shock, $13 into $10, and Atlantic Express ($6.50) were best supported of the unplaced runners. Bets on The Passage accounted for 70 percent of the total investment.

BETS: The Passage $3,000 e/w @ $2.80/$1.37; Greviste $5,500 @ $4.60; What A Shock $5,000 @ $10; Atlantic Express $7,000 @ $6.50

RACE 5: One customer was cheering when Magic Consol swept to the front over the concluding stages having waited late to outlay $5,000 @ $21 and pick up a cool $105,000 thanks to a gem or a ride by Craig Williams. Magic Consol got the better of the well-backed Coldstone ($4.20) late with Cosmic Lights ($21-$11-$9) flashing home to cut that horse out of second. The late support was mainly for Mr Individual ($6-$5).

BETS: Magic Consol $5,000 @ $21; Coldstone $3,500 @ $4.50

RACE 6: Violent Snow ($26-$21-$31-$26) attracted good each-way support and landed some good bets in scoring an upset in the first leg of the Quaddie. Lopartega ($13-$7-$5) and Every Faith ($16-$12) filled the minors. Have Another Glass ($3.90) was the most popular runner in terms of money taken while Four Sisters ($4.60-$4.20) was one of the notable firmers along with Lopartega.

BETS: Have Another Glass $3,000 @ $4

RACE 7: Favourite backers were on good terms when heavily supported as a $3.40 favourite, Camdus swept around the entire field on the turn and pinged too well to get the cash. TAB went up as much as $7 on Wednesday for the Darren Weir-trained runner who held 43 percent of all bets on the race.

BETS: Camdus $10,000 @ $3.40

RACE 8: Gallic Chieftain landed the plonk, opening the day at $4.60, weight of money throughout the day saw it backed into $3.20 favouritism.

Rose Of Virginia ($151) which ran a cracker after racing on the speed. Hursley ($6.50-$4.40) didn't have much luck in the straight and ran third. Overberg drifted alarmingly after opening $3.20 favourite and ended up starting $4.60 third pick.

BETS: Gallic Chieftain $5,000 @ $3.20

RACE 9: Katsuro ($5-$4.60) squeezed through a gap and arrived in time to take out the final event. The disappointment was Highland Beat who was $8 on Wednesday and backed into $4.80. Kens Dream again had solid backing but drifted from $4.80 out to $8.50. Kens Dream was the only horse who held more money than the winner.

BETS: Highland Beat $3,000 @ $5; Katsuro $4,000 @ $3.90