There are four meetings set to take place on Thursday, including at Ipswich where seven races are scheduled.
City Playboy @ 4.20
Flying Bandit @ 2.50
Realika @ 8.00
The fifth race on the Ipswich card is a 1609m Benchmark 62 handicap expected to take place on a soft 5 track.
Nippa’s Nightcap caught the eye when beaten less than a length into fourth over this track and trip last time and is expected to jump as favourite.
The five-year-old finished well when racing on a soft 5 surface that day and he is expected to be ridden from off the pace as was the case that day.
Kelly Schweida’s gelding had previously delivered a good effort when fifth in a 1660m metro Class 2 handicap at Doomben just over two weeks earlier.
However, the son of Sebring is an infrequent winner and CITY PLAYBOY is preferred on this occasion.
The gelding has been tackling easier events than he contests here, however, he arrives in good form as the winner of three of his last six starts.
Those wins include a narrow victory when contesting a 1400m Benchmark 58 handicap held on a good 3 track at Yeppoon a month ago.
City Playboy jumped at $12 that day and went on to finish two-and-a-half-lengths second in a six runner 1609m Class 3 set weights even at Townsville earlier this month.
The switch to a forecast soft 5 track is no issue here, with the pick having won on similar going over 1609m at Townsville at the end of July.
Jared Wehlow’s representative boasts an inside barrier here and is taken to register a win on his first start at this venue.
The fifth race at Hawkesbury is an interesting Benchmark 68 handicap set to take place over 2000m.
Brad Widdup’s Colours Of Autumn is a winner already this prep, having saluted by over three lengths when contesting a 1350m Class 1 handicap at Newcastle three starts back.
The filly has delivered good efforts in defeat in two metro races since then, including when beaten less than two lengths over 1800m on the Kensington track at Randwick earlier this month.
Zac Waddick is booked to ride and, while his mount is expected to appreciate the step up in distance, she is likely to find at least one rival too good.
Jay Ford’s mount FLYING BANDIT is usually ridden cold and he is preferred in this contest having placed second in two of his three starts this prep.
Those efforts include a narrow defeat when contesting a 1400m Benchmark 68 handicap at this venue when racing first up.
The four-year-old drops down from metro-level racing, having finished runner-up over 1800m in a Benchmark 72 handicap at Randwick earlier this month.
Flying Bandit finished strongly on that occasion with the winner going on to boost the form in winning impressively at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
The drop in grade is a positive here while the step up to 2000m is expected to suit and, jumping from next to the rail, he looks capable of returning to winning ways.
The penultimate race on the Ballarat card is Benchmark 64 handicap over 1600m for fillies and mares.
Greg Eurell’s REALIKA takes the eye here having demonstrated improvement with racing in her three starts to date.
While the filly failed to shine when finishing in mid-division on the synthetic track at Pakenham when debuting in August, she showed improvement on her turf debut at Seymour next time.
That Seymour effort saw the pick finish just under two lengths third in a 1600m maiden held on a good 4 track.
Realika again encountered a good 4 track when ridden from behind the speed, prior to saluting over the same distance at Cranbourne at the start of this month.
The daughter of Real Steel remains open to improvement and, jumping from a wide barrier, she is taken to complete a double.