Australian Racing: No doubts over Cristal Clear

There are five meetings set to take place on Thursday, including at Hawkesbury where nine races are scheduled.

Race 5 Hawkesbury

Cristal Clear @ 3.60

Race 7 Warrnambool

Tobi Saru @ 3.00

Race 7 Beaudesert

Salt Lake Betty @ 2.70

Cristal for Hawkesbury success

The fifth race on the card is a 1600m Class 1 handicap event set to take place on a good 4 surface.

Copacabana is expected to jump as favourite having shown good form in two starts this prep.

The first of those saw the four-year-old catch the eye in finishing third, having raced from off the pace following a slow start over 1250m at Newcastle.

This gelding placed third when beaten less than two lengths that day and he duly justified odds-on favouritism when saluting upped to 1400m at the same venue subsequently.

Reece Jones, on board for both of those efforts, is again set to ride here, however, preference is for confirmed stayer CRISTAL CLEAR.

Trained by Annabel Neasham & Rob Arhicbald, the colt lost out by a narrow margin when runner-up over 1300m at Wyong on his return to action in July.

The three-year-old tracked the speed when racing on a good 4 track that day and demonstrated that softer conditions were no issue when successful on a soft 5 next time.

That victory came when stepped up to this distance for the first time for a Goulburn maiden and connections have opted to apply blinkers for the first time here.

Cristal Clear remains open to improvement on just his fourth career start and, with barrier seven unlikely to pose any issues, he is taken to complete a double.

Tobi to complete double

The seventh race on the Warrnambool card is a competitive looking 3100m Benchmark 64 handicap event.

A soft 7 surface is expected here with Bulbuk set to have his supporters having placed second over 2400m at Bendigo last time.

The gelding demonstrated his best form since breaking his maiden at Werribee in February, when beaten five lengths in a Benchmark 64 handicap that day.

However, only eight ran on that occasion and contesting a more competitive event here, he looks opposable with TOBI SARU the pick for this one.

The five-year-old recorded his first win when successful over 2439m in testing conditions at Moe in June.

This gelding placed twice from four subsequent starts prior to breaking through for his second victory when racing from off the pace at Mornington last week.

Tobi Saru raced over 2460m when contesting a Benchmark 58 handicap at Mornington and shapes as if a step up in distance won’t pose any issues.

Luke Oliver’s gelding should appreciate the soft 7 track expected here and, with Harry Coffey retaining the ride, he looks capable of recording his third career win.

Betty to triumph at Beaudesert

Beaudesert stage a nine-race card with the seventh race a 1200m Class 4 set weights contest to take place on a soft 7 track.

SALT LAKE BETTY is set to represent Desleigh Foster here and she is the selection to record her first victory of the year.

The four-year-old broke her maiden in impressive fashion when contesting a 1110m metro maiden at Doomben in December.

Salt Lake Betty has gone on to place third in two of her three starts this prep, including when beaten two lengths over 1200m when returning to Doomben at the end of July.

The filly jumped at $61 when racing on a good 4 track that day, with a change of tactics to racing from off the pace appearing to suit.

Samantha Collett, on board that day, is again set to ride here with the drop to country-level racing a positive.