There are no fewer than 11 meetings taking place on the first day of the new year, including at Ascot, where the Group 2 Perth Cup takes centre stage on their seven-race card.
They also race at Burrumbeet, Canterbury, Flemington, Inverell, Longford, Mornington, Murray Bridge, Riverton, Sunshine Coast and Terang.
Sentimental Hero @ 5.00
Iowna Merc @ 7.50
Goldman @ 4.40
A field of 15 has been declared for the previously mentioned Group 2 Perth Cup, which comes up as the fifth race on Ascot’s seven-race card.
A soft 5 track is expected for the 2400m contest, with Daniel Morton’s In Good Order expected to feature prominently in the better.
The four-year-old has performed well at this venue in the past including when placing twice in a couple of Listed races earlier this season.
The second of those saw the gelding finish third, beaten less than a length in the Listed G.A. Towton Cup over 2200m last month.
Chris Parnham, on board that day returns to the plate here with his mount having taken out the Group 2 Ted Van Heemst Stakes over 2100m here two last time out.
However, racing off a low weight, SENTIMENTAL HERO is preferred on this occasion having demonstrated his versatility with regard to distance this season.
The son of Al Maher has registered top-three finishes in five of his last six starts, including when third in the 1300m Tom Sayers Memorial Sprint at Kalgoorlie in September.
The seven-year-old broke through for his first win of the season when coming home over three lengths clear of his rivals in a 2100m contest at this venue in November.
The 5.00 selection raced on a good 4 track when contesting the Listed Glenroy Chaff-A.J. Scahill Cup on that occasion and he went on to finish runner-up in a similar event over 2200m here next time.
The gelding arrives here in good form and, jumping from barrier 10 and receiving weight from his rivals, he looks up to recording a win receiving weight from his rivals.
The feature race on Canterbury’s eight-race card is the penultimate event, the 1200m Listed Canterbury Sprint.
Time To Boogie has made just three starts since winning at Randwick in December 2023 and he is expected to start favourite for this contest.
Trained by Michael Freedman the gelding has placed in all three of those starts, including when third of six over this distance in a Rosehill Benchmark 88 handicap just under a year ago.
The five-year-old resumed with a close second over 1100m in a Benchmark 94 handicap at Randwick and he gets in off a low weight with Rachel King up.
The in-form Bjorn Baker team are set to saddle the winner of that Randwick contest IOWNA MERC here and he is preferred on this occasion.
Prior to taking out that Benchmark 94 event the selection had recorded a four-length third when racing on a heavy 8 track over 1100m at Rosehill.
That Rosehill effort was the 7.50 pick’s second this prep, having been hampered at the start prior to finishing eighth in Group 3 company at Kembla Grange in November.
While the son of Winning Rupert is yet to win at this level he has placed twice in this company in the past, including when runner-up in the Bob Charley AO Stakes at Randwick in June.
The selection has Ashley Morgan up for the first time here, with the pair looking capable of saluting from barrier seven.
The sixth race at Flemington is the Listed Bagot Handicap, a 2800m contest set to take place on a good 4 surface.
GOLDMAN demonstrated good form at Group 3 level in Brisbane last season, finishing in the frame twice including in the 2400m Premier’s Cup held on a soft 6 track in June.
The 4.40 six-year-old failed to make much of an impact at big prices in his first two starts this time around, but a change of tactics and step up in distance saw him salute at Pakenham last time.
That Pakenham success saw the gelding make all the running to deliver a narrow margin success in the 2500m Pakenham Cup.
Trained by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, the pick raced on a good 3 track that day and he is taken to register his second win at this venue.