Australian Racing: Cosmic Fire to blaze past rivals

There are a number of meetings set to take place on Friday, including metro fixtures at Gold Coast, Canterbury and Devonport.

Race 2 Gold Coast

Cosmic Fire @ 7.00

Race 7 Canterbury

Demiana @ 5.00

Race 7 Devonport

Exalted Crown @ 7.50

Cosmic for Gold Coast glory

The sixth race of the day at Gold Coast is the GC1000 3yo Plate, a 1000m set weights three-year-old contest set to take place on a soft 7 surface.

Donna Stanbridge’s Mishani Lily has plenty of experience, including at this venue, having registered a two-length success here on her penultimate start.

That effort saw her get the better of six rivals when contesting a 1200m handicap held on a good 4 surface.

Mishani Lily went on to lose out by half-a-length when placing third in a similar event over the same distance at Doomben in early October.

The daughter of Kobayashi has been given a break since and rates highly on just her second start on a wet track.

Trainer Billy Healey’s horses have been going well in the last month and his COSMIC FIRE is a proven wet track performer.

The gelding broke through for his first win when saluting by over four lengths in a 1115m Grafton maiden held on a soft 7 track in May.

Cosmic Fire jumped at triple figure odds when finishing 11th in the Group 2 Sires’ Produce Stakes over 1400m at Eagle Farm subsequently and he was spelled following that effort.

Andrew Mallyon’s mount resumed with a one-and-a-half-length triumph in a 1000m handicap at Sunshine Coast last month.

Cosmic Fire raced on a heavy 8 track on that occasion and arrives here on the back of a barrier trial success on Sunshine Coast’s inner track earlier this month.

Barrier 15 isn’t ideal here, however, the gelding was ridden with slightly more restraint last time than had been the case in previous starts and he is taken to record his third career win.

Demiana for Canterbury success

The penultimate race at Canterbury is a 1200m Benchmark 72 handicap expected to take place on a soft 5 surface.

Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes’ stable are represented by Shines, with the gelding arriving here on the back of a third-place finish at this venue.

This six-year-old lost out by just over a length when contesting a similar race to this on that occasion.

The step up to 1200m shouldn’t pose any issues to the gelding, while he has performed well on wet tracks in the past.

This son of Dream Ahead has gone over a year without a victory however and he is expected to find at least one too good once more.

Chris Waller-trained DEMIANA is the pick on this occasion and she is another to have performed well here recently, having finished half-a-length second over 1250m at this track last month.

Demiana contested a Benchmark 72 handicap held on a good 4 track on that occasion, however, she disappointed on a heavy 10 surface at Rosehill next time.

The mare’s best efforts have come on quicker going than she encountered that day and it’s of note that she won at a higher level when saluting in a Benchmark 78 handicap at Warwick Farm in June.

Kerrin McEvoy, on board at Warwick Farm and for both starts this prep, is again set to ride and jumping from next to the rail his mount is taken to register her second win of the year.

Crown to record Cup win

Friday’s feature race at Devonport is the penultimate race of the day, the Sheffield Cup.

The 1650m handicap has attracted a field of 10, with EXALTED CROWN the selection to record a victory following a third in the Golden Mile here earlier this month.

This seven-year-old was beaten just over one-and-a-half-lengths in a race in which he had a number of his rivals here behind him.

Mark Ganderton’s representative had returned from a break with a victory in a 1400m Benchmark 68 handicap on turf at Launceston prior.

Exalted Crown has a wide barrier but that shouldn’t pose an issue given his tactical versatility and he is selected to record his third win at this venue.