Australian Racing: Bank on Reserve to land Goodwood

There's plenty of racing action for punters to get stuck into on Saturday including at Morphettville, where the 2025 running of the Group 1 Goodwood is the feature.

They also race at Ararat, Ascot, Caulfield, Darwin, Glen Innes, Gold Coast, Gosford, Ipswich, Kembla Grange, Port Hedland and Toowoomba.

Race 8 Morphettville

Reserve Bank @ 6.00

Race 8 Gosford

Mare Of Mt Buller @ 7.50

Race 7 Gold Coast

Buckaroo @ 3.80

Bank to cash in for Goodwood glory

The previously mentioned Group 1 Goodwood comes up as the eighth race of the day at Morphettville.

A good 4 track is expected for the 1200m contest with $1,000,000 on offer and a field of thirteen set to go to post.

Giga Kick is expected to jump as favourite for the race, switched to a handicap as he chases his first victory since taking out the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 in May 2023.

The gelding raced over this distance on that occasion and, while he has made just five appearances since that Doomben triumph, he has recorded some good efforts in defeat.

The pick of those efforts was a narrow defeat when bidding for a second win in The Everest over this distance at Randwick in October.

Clayton Douglas’ sprinter hasn’t been seen in race action since finishing seventh in the 1200m Group 1 Champions Sprint at Flemington in November and he rates highly following three jump out efforts.

Royal Merchant won this race as a three-year-old two years ago and RESERVE BANK is selected to do similar, having won both previous starts at this venue.

The first of those saw the gelding triumph by half-a-length when contesting an 1100m Listed event held on a sound surface here last month.

The 6.00 son of Capitalist went on to complete a double when triumphing by one-and-a-half-lengths over this distance in the Group 2 Tobin Bronze Stakes here two weeks ago.

Trained by Mick Price & Michael Kent Jr the colt jumped from a wide barrier in the Tobin Bronze and he remains open to improvement.

Jamie Melham is set to ride for the first time here and, jumping from barrier nine, her mount looks up to registering his first top level win.

Mare to earn Listed Gosford prize

The Coast 3 & 4yo Quality is a competitive looking Listed race that comes up as the eighth race of the day at Gosford.

A soft 7 surface is expected for the race, with Annabel & Rob Archibald’s Depth Of Character expected to have his supporters chasing his third consecutive victory.

While the gelding found Group 1 company too much at Randwick in March he has performed well since including when taking out a 1600m event at Eagle Farm on his penultimate start.

The son of Deep Field duly followed up when victorious by just under two-and-a-half-lengths in the Group 2 Queensland Guineas over the same course and distance.

The three-year-old has won on a wet track in the past and holds obvious claims jumping form barrier five.

The year older MARE OF MT BULLER is the selection here, however, having registered three good efforts since returning from a spell.

The Dundeel filly recorded a third in a Benchmark 78 handicap at Randwick when resuming in February and she finished one place better over the same track and trip the following month.

That second Randwick effort saw her beaten just over half-a-length when contesting the Group 3 Mostyncopper Aspiration Quality which was held on good going.

Chris Waller’s 7.50 representative broke through for her first win of the season when successful by nearly a length in the 1900m Group 3 Epona Stakes at Rosehill two weeks later.

The selection returns from a short break here and dropping back in distance looks up to recording a win.

Buckaroo backed for Group 2 success

The Group 2 A.D. Hollindale Stakes, an 1800m event set to take place on a soft 7 track, is the highlight at Gold Coast.

Fastnet Rock gelding BUCKAROO has shown a liking for wet tracks in the past, including when placing twice at the highest level in Melbourne in the spring.

Those placed efforts include a narrow defeat when runner-up in the 2000m Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington in October, while he backed that up with a Caulfield Cup second two weeks later.

The 3.80 six-year-old hasn’t been at his best in two starts this prep, however, the first of those came over an inadequate distance and he is expected to have show improvement racing third up.

The booking of top hoop James McDonald takes the eye and, returning to a wet track and dropping in grade, Chris Waller’s gelding looks up to returning to winning ways.