Australian Racing: Bowen charge has it In Spades

There are just two meetings scheduled to take place on Monday, with Beaudesert and Taree both staging eight-race cards.

Race 7 Taree

In Spades @ 5.50

Race 6 Beaudesert

All About Artie @ 8.50

Race 3 Beaudesert

Miss Zermatt @ 4.40

Spades in for Taree success

The penultimate race on Taree's eight-race card is a 1007m Benchmark 82 handicap set to take place on a soft 7 track.

Dis Is Heaven is expected to start as favourite as he seeks his second win of the season, having triumphed over 1106m at Port Macquarie in October.

The five-year-old contested a Benchmark 66 handicap that day and gets in off a nice racing weight following three starts this prep.

Trained by Colt Prosser, he delivered his best effort this prep when beaten just over two-and-a-half-lengths in a 1000m Benchmark 66 handicap here last month.

Luke Rolls' mount has won on a heavy surface in the past, however the winner of that course contest, IN SPADES, is the selection here.

The mare jumped from a double-figure barrier when getting home by a narrow margin on that occasion and she is another who is proven in wet conditions.

The 5.50 six-year-old is a three-time scorer in wet conditions, including by nearly a length when contesting a Benchmark 58 handicap on a soft 6 surface at Tuncurry in December.

Prior to her course win last time out the mare had finished a good third when beaten just over a length in a 1000m Benchmark 66 handicap at Tamworth 11 days earlier.

Jockey Ashley Morgan, on board at Tuncurry, is a positive jockey booking. with the pair selected to record a win from barrier two.

Artie set to score at Beaudesert

A soft 6 surface is expected at Beaudesert, with the sixth race a 1400m Benchmark 60 handicap event.

Speed Map is expected to feature prominently in the betting, having registered a win and four top-four finishes from five starts this prep.

The victory saw the gelding come home nearly two-and-a-half lengths clear of his rivals when contesting a Benchmark 65 handicap over this course and distance early last month.

The six-year-old won on a good 4 track that day and, following a second on a soft 6 at Sunshine Coast, he arrives here on the back of a fourth in a 1650m metro event at Doomben.

The gelding drops back from 1650m, having been beaten less than two lengths that day, however a wide barrier is enough to temper enthusiasm for Jake Bayliss’ mount.

ALL ABOUT ARTIE will jump from next to the rail here and he is preferred for the Marcus Wilson stable.

The four-year-old broke through for his first win when successful over 1350m in a maiden contest at Ipswich in January.

The 8.50 pick was returning from a spell when racing from the front prior to getting home by a narrow margin on a soft 5 track that day and he has performed with credit in two subsequent starts.

The first of those saw the gelding beaten just over one-and-a-half lengths into fourth when competing in a 1400m Class 2 plate event at Gold Coast last month.

The drop back in distance is expected to suit here, with the son of Flying Artie having followed that up with a fourth over 1666m in a Class 1 plate contest at Ipswich at the start of this month.

Justin Huxtable, on board last time out, retains the ride and his mount is taken to record the second win of his career.

Cornish charge set to impress

Earlier on the Beaudesert card, the third race of the day is an 1100m Benchmark 55 handicap.

The Gregory Cornish-trained MISS ZERMATT arrives in good form having been competing in stronger contests since winning first up this prep at Dalby in December.

The five-year-old won at Benchmark 0-58 handicap level when racing on a wet track that day and she has placed in the top three in four of her five subsequent starts.

The exception saw her beaten less than a length into fifth here in January, with two of those four top-three efforts coming at Ipswich.

The 4.40 mare was beaten just two-and-a-half lengths in a Benchmark 58 handicap at that track at the start of this month.

The daughter of Falvelon has the services of highly promising apprentice Montana Philpot here and, with a good barrier and the forecast wet conditions to suit, they look capable of recording a win.