Australian Racing: Farcited to shine in Black Opal

There are five meetings scheduled to take place on Sunday, including at Canberra, where the Group 3 Black Opal Stakes is the showpiece race.

They also go to post at Ascot, Echuca, Stony Creek and Tamworth, with the Ascot card featuring the Listed pair of the Lex Piper Stakes and the Ascot 1000 Guineas.

Race 6 Canberra

Farcited @ 5.50

Race 7 Tamworth

Listzomania @ 17.00

Race 6 Ascot

Too Soon @ 2.60

Farcited to sparkle in Group 3 company

The feature race on Canberra’s card is the sixth race of the day, the Group 3 Black Opal Stakes over 1200m.

A good 4 track is expected for the race, with the Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou-trained King Of Pop expected to feature prominently in the betting.

The son of Farnan made the perfect start to his racing career when debuting with a victory in an 1100m maiden at Warwick Farm last month.

The colt, an $800,000 purchase as a yearling, got home by a narrow margin when racing on a good 4 track that day, having previously had three outings in barrier trials at Rosehill.

The extra 100m is unlikely to prove an issue, however, preference here is for fellow Farnan colt FARCITED.

The youngster showed up well in three barrier trials without winning, including when third over 1000m at Rosehill early last month.

The 5.50 pick went on to make his debut when challenging wide round the home turn prior to going on to score by nearly a length in a 1000m contest at this venue.

While that form hasn’t been tested as yet, the colt appeared to have a bit in hand at the finish and the extra 200m he tackles here is expected to suit.

The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott team know what it takes to win this race, having triumphed with Autumn Ballet here two years ago and their representative is taken to record a win.

Listzomania looks good at Tamworth

Tamworth stage an eight-race card, with the penultimate contest a qualifier for the Country Championships.

Twenty horses have been declared for the 1400m Class 5 event with a good 3 surface expected.

With a number of horses declared here, Paul Messara & Leah Gavranich look to hold strong claims including with Know Thyself, winner of three of his five starts to date.

The four-year-old impressed when winning by over five lengths in a Class 3 event held on a heavy 9 track at Rosehill in June last year.

The gelding raced over 1400m that day and performed well when just over a length back in third in a 1600m Group 3 contest at Sunshine Coast in July last year.

The son of The Autumn Sun hasn’t seen race action since, however, he has been in barrier trial action, including when third over 1200m at Scone last month.

The quicker going shouldn’t be an issue here, however, LISTZOMANIA is preferred here despite the six-year-old having to jump from a wide barrier.

Todd Payne’s representative showed good form in defeat last prep including when placing three times in Class 3 events.

The most recent of those saw him beaten one-and-a-half-lengths into second when contesting a 1200m event at Randwick in September.

The 17.00 son of Dream Ahead jumped from a wide barrier that day and resumed with a narrow victory in a similar contest over the same course and distance last month.

The runner-up that day went on to win at Rosehill next time out, while a number of the beaten horses have registered good efforts in defeat since.

While the selection has been racing over shorter distances on recent starts, he has won over 1400m in the past and he is taken to record a success under Luke Rolls.

Too Soon to triumph in Lex Piper

There’s Listed action at Ascot, including the sixth race of the day, the Lex Piper Stakes over 1600m.

A good 4 track is expected here, with TOO SOON taken to register his third consecutive victory stepping up in grade.

The colt demonstrated ability in three starts at two for his previous handler Matthew Smith, however, he has shown further improvement since switching to Western Australia.

The 2.60 son of Charge Forward broke through for his first win over 1400m at Pinjarra Scarpside in January prior to winning by just under two lengths at Pinjarra last month.

The step up to 1600m is expected to suit the three-year-old, who looks up to continuing his winning run with Clint Johnston-Porter, on board for both previous wins, set to ride again.