Australian Racing: Blow In can blow away rivals

There are a number of meetings set to take place on Thursday, including at Geelong, where a nine-race card is scheduled.

Race 8 Geelong

Frontline Action @ 5.00

Race 7 Wagga

Blow In @ 8.50

Race 6 Mackay

Nine Carats @ SP

Action to score at Geelong

The penultimate race of the day at Geelong is a 1700m Benchmark 0-64 handicap expected to take place on a soft 7 surface.

Trainer Mitchell Freedman is set to saddle Boga Legend here, with the gelding expected to jump as favourite following a string of good efforts in defeat.

This four-year-old resumed this prep with a solid fourth in a 1400m event held on good ground at Pakenham at the start of April.

Boga Legend went on to finish half-a-length second when encountering similar underfoot conditions upped to 1600m for a Benchmark 64 handicap at the same venue.

This grey arrives here on the back of a defeat by just over half-a-length in a 1600m Benchmark 0-64 handicap at Cranbourne last month.

The extra 100m isn’t expected to pose an issue, however, a wide barrier is enough to temper enthusiasm.

FRONTLINE ACTION has been allocated an inside alley here and the three-year-old is preferred in this contest.

This son of Highland Reel ended his last prep with a narrow victory when contesting a 2000m maiden at Wangaratta in December.

The youngster had finished held in two starts over shorter prior to that and he completed a double when resuming with a win at Echuca last month.

Trained by Patrick & Michelle Payne, the gelding came home nearly three-and-a-half-lengths clear of his rivals when dropping to 1600m on that occasion.

The selection contested a Benchmark 0-58 handicap that day and looks ready for the step up in grade he gets here.

While unproven on a wet surface, in race conditions he is a barrier trial winner on soft and he looks capable of recording his third consecutive victory.

Blow to record Wagga win

A soft 5 track is expected at Wagga with the finale a 1400m Benchmark 82 handicap.

Five-time winner Mosgold is expected to prove popular with punters, having contested a metro contest last time.

That metro event saw the mare beaten seven lengths into fifth in a seven-runner Benchmark 72 handicap held on the Kensington track at Randwick last month.

The five-year-old raced on a heavy track that day and the quicker going expected for this event is no issue.

Rob Potter-trained BLOW IN is the pick here however, having returned to form with a couple of placed efforts in his last two starts.

The first of those placings saw the six-year-old beaten just under one-and-a-half-lengths in a 1200m Benchmark 82 handicap at Dubbo.

This son of Fighting Sun raced on a wet track that day and went on to finish one place better when contesting a Benchmark 82 handicap at Queanbeyan subsequently.

Blow In stepped up to 1460m when racing on good going on that occasion and he has been allocated an inside barrier for this event.

Carats to return to winning ways at Mackay

In Queensland they are set to race at Mackay with the sixth race of the day a 1560m Benchmark 65 handicap.

A soft 5 surface is expected for the race, with NINE CARATS taking the eye having registered wins in four of her last six starts.

Those starts include a hat-trick of wins in May, including when successful by a length in an 1830m Benchmark 65 handicap at Home Hill.

The five-year-old was stepped up to Open company at this venue subsequently, registering a respectable fifth of nine having jumped at $26 for an 1800m contest.

This daughter of Hellbent gets a drop in grade here and, while all three of her May wins came on good going, the softer track expected here is no issue.

Jockey Aidan Holt has won on the mare in the past and the pair look capable of recording a win together here.