Australian Racing: Champagne to strike it Rich at Terang

There's plenty of racing action for punters to enjoy on Sunday with six meetings on the schedule, including at Terang, where it's Cup Day.

They also race at Geraldton, Grafton, Pakenham, Sunshine Coast and Wagga.

Race 7 Terang

Rich Champagne @ 6.50

Race 6 Wagga

The Right Rein @ 4.80

Race 6 Grafton

Yellowhammer @ 7.50

Champagne to fizz to Cup glory

The Terang Cup comes up as the penultimate race on an eight-race card, with a soft 5 track expected for the 2150m contest.

Ziryab is expected to feature prominently in the betting, having been competing in the city in recent starts.

The five-year-old had won twice prior to finishing fourth twice at Flemington, including in a 1600m Benchmark 84 event at the start of last month.

The gelding went on to finish just over a length back in third when stepped up to 2040m for the Yarra Valley Cup at Moonee Valley three weeks later.

The son of Kingman is expected to appreciate the extra distance he gets here and he rates highly for the Ciaron Maher team.

Andrew Bobbin's RICH CHAMPAGNE is another to have competed at Moonee Valley in recent times, with the gelding saluting at the city track at the end of February.

The 6.50 four-year-old won by just under half-a-length when contesting a Benchmark 64 handicap that day and subsequently went on to place second on the Parks track at Morphettville.

That Morphettville effort came over 1950m in a Benchmark 72 handicap and he will jump from next to the rail here.

The extra distance the son of Rich Enuff encounters here is no issue and he has performed well on wet tracks in the past, having placed on both soft and heavy surfaces.

Linda Meech, on board when the pick won at Great Western earlier this prep, returns to the saddle here and her mount is taken to record his fifth career win.

Rein to record Wagga win

The sixth at Wagga is an 1800m open contest expected to take place on a good 4 surface.

Cliff House is expected to start favourite, having placed on all three starts this prep including when beaten two lengths over 1700m in the Wellington Cup at the end of last month.

The six-year-old had previously gone close in Listed company when finishing a good second in the National Sprint over 1400m at Canberra earlier in March.

However, Tim Donnelly’s gelding will have to defy top weight if he is to follow up and, with that in mind, THE RIGHT REIN is the pick in this contest.

Trained by Pat Murphy, the gelding won for the fourth time when getting home by just under half-a-length in a 1600m Benchmark 74 handicap at Goulburn on his penultimate start.

The 4.80 son of Complacent jumped from a wide barrier when contesting a 13-runner event that day and he backed that up with a good second at Canberra earlier this month.

That Canberra effort came in a 1600m Benchmark 65 handicap held on a wet track and the return to a sound surface is in no issue in this event.

Jeff Penza’s mount gets in off a nice racing weight here and stepping up in distance is taken to record a win.

Yellowhammer to salute at Grafton

A six-race card is scheduled for Grafton with the finale a 1420m Benchmark 66 handicap.

A good 4 track is expected for the race with YELLOWHAMMER taking the eye for trainer Peter Sinclair.

The five-year-old is a course winner, having registered a narrow victory when racing over 1400m in a Class 1 handicap at the start of October.

The mare ended that prep with a ninth of 16 when jumping at big odds for a $120,000 Class 3 event at Newcastle in November.

The 7.50 selection returned to action when contesting a 1350m Benchmark 58 handicap held on a wet track at Ipswich last month.

The daughter of Into Mischief usually improves for her first start back and, with a step forward expected, she is taken to record her second win at this venue.