Australian Racing: Desirous looking good at Dubbo

There are just two meetings scheduled to take place on Monday with Dubbo and Tuncurry the venues for racing action.

Race 4 Dubbo

Desirous @ 5.50

Race 3 Tuncurry

Xtra Approval @ 5.50

Race 6 Tuncurry

Lights Of Paradise @ 2.20

Desirous to fly in at Dubbo

A heavy 8 track is expected at Dubbo with the fourth race of the day a 1000m Benchmark 58 handicap.

Charlie Magic is expected to jump as favourite for the Brett Robb stable, having demonstrated improvement with racing.

The gelding finished a good fourth over this track and trip on debut prior to losing out by a narrow margin when runner-up over 900m at Wellington last month.

The three-year-old went on to break through to record his first win when successful by a length in an 800m maiden at Narromine a week later.

All three of those victories came on good going, with Shayleigh Ingelse’s mount having finished held in a barrier trial on heavy going in May.

With that in mind, DESIROUS is the pick for the Ross Lomax stable.

The filly showed solid form in maiden company on soft going last season, including when third of six on a soft 6 track at Nowra at the end of March.

The filly was freshened following that effort and she broke through to record her first win when successful by one-and-a-half-lengths in a 900m maiden at Wellington at the end of May.

The 5.50 selection was spelled following that effort and is expected to have improved for her fifth over this course and distance when resuming in a similar race to this a week ago.

Barrier four is a positive, with Mitch Stapleford’s mount having attempted to make all last week and she is taken to return to winning ways.

Approval has Xtra in Golden Mile

The Bellevue Hotel Golden Mile, a Benchmark 82 handicap over 1600m comes up as the third race of the day at Tuncurry.

A soft 6 surface is expected for the eight-runner contest, with Believe So expected to have his supporters.

The seven-year-old has registered placed efforts on each of his last three starts, including when beaten less than a length over 1900m at Kempsey on his penultimate start.

That Kempsey start came at Benchmark 74 level and he went on to finish one-and-a-half-lengths third in a 1600m Benchmark 82 handicap at Tamworth two weeks ago.

While both of those efforts came on good going, the softer track expected here shouldn’t pose any issues, with the gelding having won on wet tracks in the past.

Siena Grima’s mount XTRA APPROVAL arrives here in good form, however, so he is preferred in this contest.

The gelding placed second twice earlier this prep, including when jumping at $41 for a 1250m Benchmark 58 handicap at Kempsey in October.

The 5.50 pick has won both subsequent outings, including by over a length over 1509m at Port Macquarie on his penultimate start.

Tony Ball’s galloper went on to complete a double when taking out the 1450m Kempsey Cup just over a month ago and the soft going expected here is no issue.

The selection has been freshened since that Kempsey triumph and he is backed to complete a hat-trick.

Paradise to triumph at Tuncurry

The penultimate race at Tuncurry is a 1200m Benchmark 58 handicap event.

Kris Lees boasts a 23.5% strike-rate (32/136) with his runners here and his LIGHTS OF PARADISE is taken to make a winning return to action.

The four-year-old made the perfect start to her racing career when saluting by one-and-a-half-lengths in a 1300m maiden at Scone in June.

The 2.20 pick followed that effort up with a solid third when contesting a Class 1 handicap over the same track and trip the following month.

The daughter of I Am Invincible was spelled following a Wyong fourth when racing on a good 4 track just under two weeks later and she showed improvement at Hawkesbury in her latest barrier trial.

An inside alley is a positive for Christian Reith’s mount who is expected to race close to or on the speed.