Australian Racing: Geegees Gemstone can dazzle at Launceston

There are a number of meetings scheduled to take place on Wednesday, with the highlights being metro fixtures at Ipswich and Launceston.

Race 6 Launceston

Geegees Gemstone @ 6.00

Race 6 Wyong

Offenbach @ 6.50

Race 4 Ipswich

Autumngirl @ 4.20

Gemstone to take Conquering

The feature race at Launceston is the 1400m Listed Conquering Stakes set to take place on a soft 5 track.

The Inevitable placed second in this race last year and has shown good form in defeat at a higher level since then.

Those subsequent efforts include a defeat by less than two lengths in the 1350m Group 3 BRC Sprint at Doomben in May.

This veteran finished seventh on that occasion and went on to deliver a three-and-a-half-length fourth in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap over this distance at Eagle Farm the following month.

The gelding arrives here on the back of a half-length second, when contesting the 1200m Listed Tasmanian Newmarket at this venue last month and he rates highly.

However, John Keys’ representative is set to jump at short odds to reverse form with GEEGEES GEMSTONE who finished ahead of him in that Tasmanian Newmarket.

Stuart Gandy’s five-year-old had the benefit of a run that day, having been beaten one-and-a-half-lengths when seventh over 1100m at Hobart earlier that month.

Anthony Darmanin’s mount recorded five wins at this venue last season and, while one of his two unplaced efforts came over 1400m, he looks worth another try at the distance.

Barrier eight shouldn’t provide the son of Alpine Eagle with too many problems given his racing style and he looks capable of registering his second win of the campaign.

Offenbach for Classic glory

The most valuable race on the Wyong card is the penultimate race of the day, the $200,000 1100m Wyong Magic Millions 2yo Classic.

Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott’s team took this race in both 2018 and 2019 and look to hold strong claims this time around with the once-raced Tempestuous.

The colt showed ability when contesting a barrier trial on the Kensington track at Randwick in September, prior to debuting in the Group 3 Arrowfield Breeders’ Plate on the main track there.

This son of Extreme Choice performed well in finishing a close second, having met with interference late on that day.

While Nash Rawiller’s mount holds obvious claims, the pick on this occasion is OFFENBACH, who hails from the in-form Michael Freedman stable.

The trainer’s representative here cost connections $650,000 at the sales earlier this year and showed up well in a couple of barrier trials prior to debuting at Newcastle.

Offenbach was beaten less than half-a-length when runner-up over 900m on a good 4 track at Newcastle and is expected to have benefited from that experience.

Tommy Berry, on board on that occasion, is again set to ride here with the pair having been allocated an inside barrier.

Michael Freedman knows what it takes to win this contest, having taken it with Highness 12 months ago and Offenvach can provide him with back-to-back wins in this contest.

Girl for Ipswich success

The fourth race at Ipswich is an interesting 1200m maiden with the newcomer Becca expected to start favourite.

A soft 5 track is expected for the race restricted to three-year-old fillies and AUTUMNGIRL is preferred for the Kelly Schweida team.

The daughter of The Autumn Sun demonstrated ability in an 840m barrier trial at Doomben prior to making her debut at the same venue later that month.

That effort came when contesting an 1100m maiden on a good 4 surface, a race in which she had her jockey here James Orman in the saddle.

The winner of that event went on to follow up next time out, with the pick doing best of those ridden from off the pace.

Autumngirl advertised her well being with a third in an 840m barrier trial held on a soft 7 track at Doomben last month and she should have no issues with the extra distance here.

The filly is open to improvement and, while barrier 15 is a negative, she is taken to break through for her first win.