Australian Racing: Galactic Angel can soar to Goulburn glory

There are five meetings set to take place on Friday including at Tuncurry where an eight-race program is scheduled.

Race 7 Tuncurry

Jack Duggan @ 5.00

Race 5 Cairns

Northern Pride @ 3.50

Race 6 Goulburn

Galactic Angel @ 6.50

Jack for Gold Cup glory

The penultimate race on the Tuncurry card is the 2100m Southern Sons Skip Bins Cuncurry-Forster XXXX Gold Cup over 2100m.

This race, an open handicap set to take place on a soft 5 track, has attracted a field of 14 with Cenotes expected to jump as favourite for trainer Colt Prosser.

The five-year-old registered some solid metro efforts at Rosehill earlier this prep, including when six lengths fifth in a 1600m Class 3 set weights event in July.

Cenotes has appreciated the drop down from metro racing when contesting 2100m Benchmark 66 handicaps at Tamworth on his two most recent starts.

The son of Rebel Dane has won both of those outings, including by one-and-a-half-lengths when racing on a soft 5 track there on 27th August.

This looks a more competitive contest however and JACK DUGGAN is preferred on this occasion.

Trained by Jason Deamer, the gelding has finished fifth in three of his four starts this time around, including when beaten just over a length over 1550m at Canterbury in July.

The gelding’s rider lost his whip when contesting a 1550m Benchmark 72 handicap that day and he had no issues when beaten a similar margin upped to 2000m at Coffs Harbour next time.

That Coffs Harbour effort came in a competitive handicap event and he caught the eye when keeping on nicely in seventh in a metro event at Rosehill on 31st August.

Jack Duggan was beaten less than four lengths when racing from off the pace in an 1800m Benchmark 72 handicap that day.

The protagonists all raced close to or just behind the speed and stepping up in distance the gelding looks capable of returning to winning ways.

Pride to salute at Cairns

At Cairns the most valuable contest on their eight-race program is the fifth race of the day, a 950m open handicap set to take place on a soft 5 track.

There are no fewer than four last-time-out winners in the nine-runner field, including The Hanger Cat who completed a five-timer when successful over 1200m at Longreach in July.

This five-year-old’s winning run came to an end when beaten three lengths into sixth in the 1400m Tambo Cup at the start of last month however.

The step up to 1400m was likely to blame that day and he returned to winning ways back down to 1000m when taking out a four-runner event at Betoota two weeks ago.

While the gelding arrives here in great form, NORTHERN PRIDE is the pick here, having demonstrated good form at Townsville in recent months.

The son of Better Than Ready has won four of his last five starts at that track, including on a soft 5 track in the 1200m Townsville City Council Mayor’s Sprint there in July.

Northern Pride has raced just once since then, finishing a length clear of his rivals in a $100,000 1300m contest held on a good 4 track at the same venue early last month.

Trained by Tom Button, the gelding has a good barrier four from the rail here, while he has been freshened since that latest Townsville victory.

Apprentice Gabrielle Semmens has won three times on the selection in the past and she looks capable of steering the five-year-old to victory from barrier four.

Angel for Goulburn glory

Blake Ryan has his string in good form of late with two of his last four runners visiting the winners’ enclosure and he saddles GALACTIC ANGEL in the sixth at Goulburn.

The race in question is a 1300m Benchmark 58 handicap with the pick having performed well when two lengths third at Gundagai on her penultimate start.

Galactic Angel contested an 1180m Benchmark 58 handicap held on a heavy 8 track that day and she went on to finish just under two lengths fourth here subsequently.

The mare contested a 1300m Class 3 handicap for fillies & mares on that occasion and she is expected to race from the front here.

Booking Jean Van Overmeire takes the eye here, with the jockey boasting a 28.6% strike-rate (2/7) when riding for the Ryan stable.

Barrier nine isn’t ideal, however, the mare was well away last time out and she can get to the front to make all the running in this event.