Australian Racing: Astral Flame can burn the competition

There’s plenty of racing action for punters on Friday, including at Kembla Grange where a soft 7 track is expected.

Race 7 Kembla Grange

Idle Flyer @ 8.50

Race 8 Muswellbrook

Kantishna @ 3.60

Race 6 Cranbourne

Astral Flame @ 2.40

Flyer for Classic success

The Group 3 Kembla Grange Classic over 1600m comes up as the penultimate race on an eight-race card at Kembla Grange.

Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Dominetta proved that she is up to competing at this level last prep and she is expected to jump as favourite here.

This daughter of Zoustar registered two Group 3 placings last time around, including when narrowly beaten in the Bisley Workwear Reginald Allen Quality over 1400m at Randwick in October.

The three-year-old raced on a wet track that day and she gets soft underfoot conditions for the first time since here, having resumed with a mid-division finish at Randwick at the start of this month.

That Randwick effort saw her beaten less than four-and-a-half-lengths in The Chase Surround Stakes, a Group 1 1400m contest.

While she holds obvious claims in this field, IDLE FLYER is preferred despite finishing behind Rachel King’s mount at Randwick.

This pick had previously registered two victories from three starts this prep, including by just over half-a-length in a 1400m Benchmark 68 handicap at Warwick Farm early last month.

Idle Flyer faced just two rivals that day but she performed well having previously taken out a 1250m Benchmark 64 handicap at Kensington in January.

The Dundeel filly is a proven wet track performer, having broke her maiden over 1300m on a soft 6 surface here in July last year.

Matthew Smith’s representative is expected to appreciate the step up in distance and she looks up to returning to winning ways here.

Kantishna for Muswellbrook glory

The finale at Muswellbrook is a 1000m Benchmark 66 handicap expected to take place on a soft 7 track.

Cameron Crockett’s Where’stheprofit is expected to prove popular with punters having won two of his three starts to date.

Both of those efforts came on a sound surface, including when winning by an impressive three-and-a-half-lengths in an 1100m Benchmark 58 handicap at Narromine in September.

The five-year-old lost his unbeaten record when he could finish only fourth having jumped at $3 for a 1250m Class 2 contest at Taree the following month.

This gelding raced on a wet track, a heavy 8, for the first time that day and while he has trialled well ahead of his return to action, he has a wide alley to overcome here.

Three-year-old filly KANTISHNA is preferred in this event having finished in the first three in all four starts this prep.

Those starts include two wins, with the first of those seeing her salute by over two-and-a-half-lengths in a 1000m maiden at Tamworth in December.

Kantishna duly followed up when contesting a Class 1 handicap at Gunnedah the following month with both of those efforts coming on good going.

The daughter of Headwater has been beaten less than a length in both subsequent starts, most recently when placing third over 1000m at Wyong at the end of last month.

Mitch Stapleford, on board for each of her last three starts, is again set to ride and his mount looks up to recording a win from barrier six.

Flame to salute at Cranbourne

A good 4 track is expected at Cranbourne with the sixth race of the day a Benchmark 70 handicap.

Enver Jusufovic is represented by ASTRAL FLAME here, with his filly having broken through for her first win when successful at Pakenham on her penultimate start.

The daughter of Overshare recorded a length victory when racing from the front over 1200m on a good 4 track that day.

Astral Flame was ridden with more restraint on her first start against winners back at Pakenham last time out, staying on nicely to claim second stepped up to 1400m for the first time.

The form of that effort received a timely boost with the fifth home winning a metro event in Adelaide on Monday.

Carleen Hefel’s mount receives weight from her rivals here and she looks capable of doubling her career tally.