Australia Racing: Life’s A Party eyeing Tamworth triumph

There are three meetings set to take place on Tuesday and we have a selection from each of Seymour, Tamworth and Home Hill.

Race 9 Seymour

Masterful @ 4.20

Race 6 Tamworth

Life’s A Party @ 3.20

Race 7 Home Hill

Kihi @ 6.00

Masterful to salute at Seymour

Testing conditions are expected at Seymour with a heavy 8 surface forecast for their 10-race program.

The penultimate race on the card is a 1200m Benchmark 64 handicap with Laa De Sha expected to prove popular with punters.

This four-year-old ended his last prep with a narrow-margin maiden success when racing over 1112m on a good 4 track at Benalla in early April.

The gelding resumed with a victory over this distance in a Restricted 62 handicap held in similar conditions at Geelong earlier this month.

Notably however he is unproven on the forecast going, while he failed to shine in two starts on soft 5 tracks in January.

With that in mind, preference is for the more experienced MASTERFUL, who is set to represent Enver Jusufovic in this contest.

The six-year-old is proven on the forecast heavy going, having triumphed by over a length in a maiden held on a heavy 10 track at Mornington in June 2022.

This son of Deep Field has won twice since that success, most recently by a length when contesting a 1400m Benchmark 64 handicap at Cranbourne at the end of December.

Masterful delivered second place finishes in both subsequent outings including when contesting a 1400m Benchmark 70 handicap on a good 4 track at Caulfield in February.

Apprentice Zoe Waller recorded her first winner at Pakenham recently and jumping from two off the rail, her mount looks capable of resuming with a win.

Party to triumph at Tamworth

The sixth race at Tamworth is a 1200m Benchmark 82 handicap set to take place on a soft 6 track.

Deep Rouge is expected to feature prominently in the betting, having demonstrated good form earlier this prep.

The mare’s efforts this time around include a win in a Benchmark 82 handicap over this distance when racing on a good 4 track at Dubbo in May.

Deep Rouge was freshened following that effort and has recorded a couple of fair efforts since, including when sixth over 1175m at Grafton on 18th July.

Wayne Brown’s mare has been freshened since that effort and the return to a wet track is in her favour.

LIFE’S A PARTY is the pick on this occasion however, with Brandon Looker set to ride for the first time.

The six-year-old won three times last season, including by one-and-a-half-lengths in a 1200m Class 4 handicap at Bathurst in February.

Life’s A Party has shown good form in two starts this prep, with the first of those seeing her finish one-and-a-half-lengths third in an 1100m Benchmark 66 handicap at Bathurst last month.

The selection was crowded and lost ground at the start that day and went on to finish one place better in Dubbo’s XXXX Gold Vincent Gordon Cup Prelude over the same distance.

This daughter of Star Turn was beaten two-and-a-half-lengths when racing wide at Dubbo and, with a good barrier in five and the extra 100m here in her favour, she is taken to return to winning ways.

Kihi to salute at Home Hill

Home Hill are set to host nine races with the seventh event a 1000m Benchmark 70 handicap.

A good 4 track is expected with KIHI taken to register the fourth victory of her career.

The mare ended her last prep with an impressive three-length victory in a 1000m Benchmark 55 handicap at Townsville in February.

Kihi trialled with a second over 850m event at the same track, prior to resuming with a half-length triumph in a Benchmark 60 handicap held over 1000m back at Townsville last month.

Stephen Bush’s representative raced on a soft 5 track and had a valid excuse, having began awkwardly and lost ground when only eighth over the same course and distance last time.

Pietro Romeo’s mount can be forgiven that latest effort and, with a good alley here, she looks capable of recording her third win of 2024.