Australian Racing: Iron Fury to show his mettle

There are a number of meetings scheduled to take place on Thursday, including at Tamworth where it’s Tamworth Showcase Cup Day.

Race 7 Tamworth

Name Dropper @ 5.00

Race 5 Pakenham

Madame Maserati @ 1.90

Race 6 Bendigo

Iron Fury @ 5.00

Laming gelding for Cup glory

The feature race at Tamworth comes up as the penultimate race on an eight-race card with a field of 14 declared for the 1400m contest. 

Top weight West Of Africa is expected to jump as favourite, having registered some good efforts this prep, including when successful in a valuable Listed race at Gold Coast in January.

The five-year-old took out an 18-runner renewal of the Magic Millions Cup over 1400m that day and he has placed third in two of his three subsequent starts.

Those third place finishes include a two-length defeat when contesting Rosehill’s Group 2 Ajax Stakes over 1500m last month. 

While slightly disappointing that the gelding suffered a defeat when third over the same distance at Muswellbrook subsequently, he looks to hold strong claims in this contest. 

The concession of weight to New Zealand-bred NAME DROPPER is expected to prove too much here, with that rival having won two of his three outings this time around.

The son of Tavistock resumed with a victory by over a length in a Benchmark 74 handicap over 1400m at Flemington in January.

Name Dropper duly followed up when stepped up to Benchmark 84 level for a race over the same distance at Sandown, with both of those efforts coming on a sound surface.

A wide barrier was against the gelding when he trailed home last of 14 over 1400m back at Flemington at the start of last month.

Richard Laming’s representative has been freshened since that effort and he boasts an inside alley in this contest. 

The slightly softer going, a soft 5 expected here, shouldn’t pose any issues to a gelding who has won on a wet track in the past. 

Madame to salute at Pakenham

A good 4 track is expected at Pakenham with the fifth race of the day a 1000m Benchmark 64 handicap. 

Enver Jusufovic is represented by Kyle, who delivered his third career win when successful by nearly two-and-a-half-lengths at Sale on his penultimate start.

The six-year-old jumped as an odds-on favourite when contesting a 1000m Benchmark 64 handicap and he delivered a solid effort when fifth of six on the Heath track at Caulfield subsequently.

Ben Allen, on board at Sale, returns to the plate here and his mount rates highly jumping from barrier eight. 

The I Am Invincible filly MADAME MASERATI is preferred in this race, having had two starts so far this prep.

The three-year-old resumed with a fair fifth of seven when beaten just over four-and-a-half-lengths in a 1000m Benchmark 64 handicap held on a soft track at Sandown last month.

Trained by Lloyd Kennewell & Lucy Yeomans, the filly was freshened following that effort and she found the drop down from metro racing in her favour at Kyneton earlier this month.

The selection came home nearly half-a-length clear of her rivals when contesting an 1103m Benchmark 64 handicap that day and she has a good barrier here.

Blake Shinn is a positive booking, with the jockey boasting a 40% strike-rate (6/15) when teaming up with the Kennewell & Yeomans team so far this season. 

Fury to complete double

Seven races have been programmed for Bendigo with the penultimate contest a 1000m Benchmark 58 handicap.

A good 4 track is expected for the race with Mick Price & Michael Kent Jr set to be represented by IRON FURY here.

The three-year-old debuted with a respectable third of six over 1000m at this venue last month and he broke his maiden by a narrow margin in a 1000m event at Donald subsequently.

This son of Russian Revolution won by a narrow margin when racing on the pace that day with Olivia East set to take four kilograms off his back here.

East made the perfect start to her riding career when successful on Nasraawy at Sale recently and her mount looks up to defying a wide barrier here.