Australian Racing: Modesty to keep rivals grounded

There’s plenty of racing action for punters to get stuck into on Saturday with the feature race the Group 1 Northerly Stakes at Ascot.

Race 8 Ascot

Attrition @ 5.00

Race 6 Rosehill

Modesty @ 4.80

Race 9 Ballarat

Globe @ 10.00

Attrition to take Northerly Stakes

The previously mentioned Group 1 Northerly Stakes comes up as the penultimate race on Ascot’s nine-race card.

This 1800m contest has attracted a field of 18, with a good 4 track expected for the sole Group 1 of the day.

Three-year-old fillies have a good recent record in this contest and Storyville is expected to feature prominently in the betting for the Grant & Alana Williams team.

The daughter of Overshare won a 1200m Class 1 handicap at Bunbury when racing first up this prep, however, she has shown improved form since stepped up to 1600m.

Storyville has won each of her last two starts over the distance, including when getting home by a narrow margin in the Group 2 W.A. Guineas at this venue last month.

William Pike’s mount gets in off a low weight here and, while the extra 200m is expected to suit, preference is for Mitch Freedman’s ATTRITION.

The five-year-old has proven stamina having delivered a victory in the Group 2 Toyota Forklifts Hill Stakes over 1900m at Rosehill on his penultimate start.

Attrition jumped at $26 for that contest which came when racing on a good 4 surface.

Freedman’s charge again raced on a good 4 track when beaten one-and-a-half-lengths into fourth in the $2,000,000 1800m Listed Five Diamonds at Rosehill last month.

Beau Mertens, on board for the previously mentioned Group 2 success, returns to the saddle here and his mount is taken to deliver a victory following a spin in a Belmont barrier trial.

Modesty to win at Rosehill

The sixth race at Rosehill is a competitive looking 2000m Benchmark 78 handicap contest.

A good 4 track is expected for the race with top-weight Bullets High set to start favourite following some good efforts this prep.

Those efforts include a first up 1400m win when contesting a Benchmark 78 handicap at Warwick Farm in October.

Two second-place efforts followed, including in a 1500m Benchmark 78 handicap here and he steps back up in distance following a close fifth in an 1800m contest here last week.

While Joe Pride’s representative holds obvious claims, he is expected to find MODESTY too strong for the Chris Waller team.

The five-year-old recorded some solid handicap efforts without winning in the UK in 2023 and he resumed with a solid seventh over 1300m at Warwick Farm in October.

Distance appeared to be on the short side that day, with the gelding breaking through for his first win for the Waller team when successful over 1800m at this level the following month.

The son of Dubawi was beaten just over two lengths when fourth in a 2000m Benchmark 78 handicap at Kembla Grange when last in action two weeks ago.

Tommy Berry, on board at Kembla Grange, is again set to ride and, with the distance and going in his favour, his mount looks capable of saluting from barrier five.

Globe for Ballarat Cup glory

The 2000m Listed Ballarat Cup comes up as the ninth race on a 10-race card at Ballarat.

A good 4 track is forecast for the competitive handicap event, with GLOBE taken to register his second Cup success.

The six-year-old is improving with racing this prep, following up a Caulfield Group 3 third first up with a second in the Listed Channel 9 Chester Manifold Stakes over 1600m at Flemington.

Globe broke through for his first win this prep when successful by a narrow margin in the Listed Cranbourne Cup over the same distance at Cranbourne two weeks ago.

Both of those 1600m efforts came on a good 3 track and, stepping up to 2000m for the first time, he looks capable of completing a double for the Mick Price & Michael Kent Jr team.