Australian Racing: Muppet to have rivals on strings

There are three meetings set to take place on Tuesday with Taree, Ballarat and Rockhampton all scheduled to stage racing action.

Race 5 Taree

Wandjad @ 4.00

Race 8 Ballarat

Muppet @ 7.00

Race 5 Rockhampton

Querida @ 5.00

Wandjad for Taree glory

The fifth race at Taree is a 1614m Benchmark 82 handicap expected to take place on a soft 7 surface.

Sally Taylor’s Bold Hoi Ho is set to start as favourite for the race, having delivered good efforts in both starts since being freshened following a down-the-field effort at Ballina in January.

The first of those efforts saw the gelding lose out by a narrow margin when runner-up in a 1400m Benchmark 66 handicap at Coffs Harbour at the start of this month.

This six-year-old raced on a good 3 track that day and went on to prove that he can compete in metro company when a close up fourth in a 1640m Class 5 at Doomben last week.

Jockey Teighan Worsnop will have to overcome a double-figure barrier here however and dual course winner WANDJAD is preferred.

The son of Wandjina broke his maiden when racing on a soft 7 surface in a 1250m maiden here in July last year.

This gelding went on to complete a double when taking out a Benchmark 58 handicap held in similar conditions at Tuncurry next time.

Wayne Wilkes’ representative broke through for his first win this prep when coming home just under half-a-length clear of his rivals in a 1400m Benchmark 58 handicap here a month ago.

Wandjad raced on a good 4 surface that day with the five-year-old set to defend his unbeaten record on wet surfaces in this contest.

Regular rider Andrew Gibbons is again set to ride and his mount looks capable of completing a double.

Muppet to salute at Ballarat

A soft 5 track is expected at Ballarat with the finale a 2000m Benchmark 64 handicap.

Stardom Awaayts is expected to feature prominently in the betting, having registered some good efforts in recent starts.

Those efforts include a narrow defeat when placing second in a 2150m Restricted 58 highweight handicap at Terang last month.

This five-year-old gained compensation for that day's defeat when recording a victory in a 2200m Benchmark 58 handicap at Ararat three weeks ago.

While the gelding has placed on a soft surface in the past, his best efforts in recent years have come on good going and MUPPET is the pick here for the Archie Alexander stable.

The daughter of Free Eagle won her first two starts this prep, including by a narrow margin when contesting a 1700m Benchmark 64 handicap at Warrnambool at the end of December.

Muppet had won by half-a-length when contesting a 1543m Benchmark 58 handicap at Geelong earlier that month, with both of those efforts coming on a good 3 surface.

The mare has recorded three top-four finishes from as many starts subsequently, including when beaten by less than a length over 1800m at Sandown on her penultimate start.

Muppet went on to finish third in a similar Benchmark 64 handicap over the same course and distance on a soft 6 track earlier this month and she is taken to return to winning ways.

Querida to complete double

The penultimate race at Rockhampton is a 1200m open handicap restricted to three-year-olds.

A soft 5 track is expected, with Power Of Katie expected to start favourite having finished in the first two in all five starts this prep.

However, QUERIDA is preferred her,e having registered some good efforts in maiden company so far this prep.

Those efforts include a narrow defeat in a 10250m maiden held on a soft 5 track at Mackay on her penultimate start.

The filly went on to deliver an impressive victory when encountering a heavy 8 track for the first time at the same venue recently.

Querida came home three-and-a-half-lengths clear of her rivals when racing over 1100m that day and she has Sean Cormack, on board for both of those efforts, up once more.

The daughter of Dracarys raced close to the speed last time out and barrier two is a positive, with similar tactics expected for this contest.