Australian Racing: Decoration out to impress

There are a number of meetings set to take place on Wednesday, including at Warwick Farm where a seven-race card is scheduled.

Race 6 Warwick Farm

Gold Pattern @ 6.50

Race 5 Sandown 

Mighty @ 6.00

Race 6 Belmont

Decoration @ 2.80

Gold to register double

The penultimate race on the Warwick Farm card is a 1600m Benchmark 72 handicap set to take place on a good 4 track.

Influential has been in good form here in recent starts and he is expected to jump as favourite for the Chris Waller team.

The four-year-old returned to action with a seventh in a 1500m Benchmark 72 handicap held on a heavy 8 track at Rosehill at the start of June.

Influential has since placed second in a couple of similar races to this over track and trip, including when narrowly beaten here last month.

James McDonald was in the saddle when narrowly beaten last time out and, with another top jockey in Kerrin McEvoy up, he rates highly in this field.

GOLD PATTERN is preferred on this occasion, however, with the mare having returned this prep with a close second in a 1300m Benchmark 64 handicap at Kembla Grange in June.

While the pick failed to finish in the first three in her next two starts, she delivered a big effort when returning to winning ways at Rosehill last time.

The five-year-old raced from mid-division prior to getting home by a narrow margin when racing over 1500m in a Benchmark 72 handicap that day.

Successful on a soft 6 surface when jumping at $16 at Rosehill, the quicker going here should prove no issue having gone well on the forecast good 4 ground in the past.

Nash Rawiller’s mount has a good barrier here and is taken to complete a double for handler John Thompson.

Mighty for Sandown success

Sandown are set to stage a 10-race card with the fifth race of the day a 1000m Benchmark 70 handicap.

A good 4 track is expected, with Pharari set to jump as an odds-on favourite having won twice earlier this prep.

The first of those wins saw the filly deliver an impressive eight-length success in a maiden over this distance at Cranbourne in May.

A second impressive win followed when racing over 1100m on a heavy 8 track at Ballarat the following month.

While the filly faded at Flemington subsequently, it’s of note that she was racing over 1200m at Listed level that day and the drop in grade here is a positive.

However, she is set to jump at a short price and MIGHTY is the selection in this event.

Trained by Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman, the filly won over this course and distance when racing on a soft 6 track at the start of July.

A good fourth when crossing the border to race at Listed level at Morphettville followed and, having returned with lacerations at Caulfield last time, she can be forgiven for that effort.

Luke Nolen’s mount boasts a good barrier four from the rail in this contest and the drop back in grade is a positive with July’s win having come in a similar race to this.

The good 4 track is no issue here having performed well on a sound surface in the past and the daughter of Spirit Of Boom is taken to return to winning ways.

Decoration to salute at Belmont

The penultimate race on the Belmont card is a 1400m Class 3 handicap contest.

A soft 5 track is expected with joint-top weight DECORATION taken to register back-to-back victories.

The selection registered a narrow victory when making all the running in a similar race to this over 1300m a week ago.

This four-year-old raced on a soft 6 track on that occasion and similar tactics are expected jumping from an inside alley.

Prior to that course success, Daniel & Ben Pearce’s representative had finished third in a 1200m Class 3 handicap at Bunbury when racing first up.

Any drying of the ground shouldn’t prove an issue with Decoration having gone well on a sound surface in the past and he looks capable of recording the third win of his career.