There are four meetings set to take place on Wednesday, including at Sandown and Ipswich where metro fixtures are scheduled.
Enna’s Dream @ 4.60
Dalio @ 8.50
Giliana @ 5.50
They race on the Lakeside track at Sandown, with the sixth race of the day an interesting 1400m Benchmark 64 handicap.
A good 4 track is expected for the race, with Sepals likely to jump as favourite on just his third career start.
The son of Calyx debuted with a solid fourth over 1200m at Yarra Glen last month, when ridden from off the pace on a good 4 track.
Sepals demonstrated improvement when breaking through for his first win, stepping up to 1400m at Sale subsequently.
Racing on a good 4 surface once more, the gelding had too much for his rivals when ridden by his jockey here Jamie Mott.
While the sole three-year-old in the line up holds strong claims, ENNA’S DREAM is preferred for the Alexander Rae stable.
The four-year-old showed good form last prep, including when placing in a Benchmark 78 handicap on the Hillside track here last May.
Two good placed efforts at Caulfield followed and Enna’s Dream resumed with a third over 1000m in a Moonee Valley Benchmark 70 handicap in November.
While unable to salute in three subsequent starts, she has been contesting decent contests, including when fifth over 1200m at Flemington recently.
The extra distance is in the daughter of Winning Rupert’s favour and, having won on the Hillside track here in the past, Enna’s Dream looks up to recording her second win at this circuit.
The fifth race at Kembla Grange is a 2400m Benchmark 64 handicap expected to take place on a soft 5 surface.
Joe Pride’s Investment has been in good form this prep, registering top-five finishes in all five starts since winning over 1350m at Wyong on her return to action.
The most recent of those efforts saw her finish less than two lengths behind the winner when fifth over 1900m at Canterbury earlier this month.
Investment raced on a soft 6 surface when contesting a Benchmark 64 handicap that day and, while she has placed over 2200m in the past, she has to prove her stamina over this distance.
With that in mind, Chad Schofield’s mount looks opposable at a short price, with preference for DALIO who has placed three times this prep.
The pick finished one-and-a-half-lengths second when stepped up to 2200m for a Class 1 set weights contest at Nowra at the end of last month.
Dalio raced on a good 3 track that day and she again performed well when partnered by her jockey here Deanne Panya for the first time at Newcastle recently.
The partnership lost out by half-a-length when placing second in a 2300m Benchmark 64 handicap held on a good 4 surface at Newcastle, with the front two nearly three lengths clear of the third.
Dalio shapes as if the extra distance he is set to tackle here will suit and, having gone well on the forecast wet track in the past, he looks up to returning to winning ways.
The penultimate race at Ipswich is an interesting Class 1 1100m handicap expected to take place on a soft 5 track.
GILIANA is set to represent the Tony Gollan team here having demonstrated good form earlier this prep.
The pick came home one-and-a-half-lengths clear of her rivals when contesting an 800m maiden held on a soft 5 surface here in October.
Giliana went on to lose out by less than half-a-length when contesting a 1000m Benchmark 58 handicap at Sunshine Coast the following month.
While the daughter of Capitalist failed to shine when sixth over this track and trip subsequently, she gets a drop in grade here having contested a Class 2 handicap that day.
That form looks solid enough, with the winner placing second at Eagle Farm next time and the fourth going on to salute at Beaudesert.
Emily Lang takes a valuable two kilograms off Giliana’s back, with the pair taken to overcome a wide alley to register a win.