Australian Racing: One Punch to knockout the competition

There are a number of meetings set to take place on Wednesday, including at Sandown where they are due to race on the Hillside course.

Race 5 Sandown

Sunset Dreaming @ 3.00

Race 5 Canterbury

Seafall @ 6.50

Race 5 Belmont

One Punch @ 3.80

Sunset to salute at Sandown

The penultimate race on Sandown’s eight-race card is a 1400m Benchmark 78 handicap set to take place on a soft 5 surface.

Step Aside is expected to have his supporters for the Chris Waller team, having notched up some good efforts in defeat this prep.

Those efforts include a third when beaten less than a length in a 1620m Benchmark 84 handicap at Flemington on his penultimate start.

The gelding raced on a soft 5 track that day and encountered quicker going when fourth on a good 4 surface over this distance at Caulfield when last in action on 31st August.

The five-year-old contests a similar Benchmark 78 handicap here and, while he holds obvious claims, preference is for the filly SUNSET DREAMING.

Tony & Calvin McEvoy’s representative showed good form last prep, including when taking out the VOBIS Gold Eureka Stockade over this distance at Ballarat last December.

While unable to win in five starts subsequently, she has acquitted herself well in three sprint contests this time around.

The first two of those came over 1100m most recently when beaten just over a length in a Benchmark 84 handicap on a good 4 track at Caulfield last month.

Sunset Dreaming had to undergo a vet’s check at the barriers that day and she finished one place better when runner-up in a 1300m Benchmark 70 handicap here subsequently.

The step back up to 1400m is a positive in this contest and, with the expected going no issue, she is taken to return to winning ways.

Seafall to salute at Canterbury

The fifth race of the day at Canterbury is an interesting Benchmark 72 handicap set to take place over 1580m.

A good 4 track is expected for the race, with bottom weight Just Glamourous set to jump as favourite for the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott team.

The four-year-old resumed this prep with a half-length success in a 1200m maiden held on a heavy 9 track at Newcastle last month.

This filly raced from the front day and followed that effort up with a close second in a 1300m Benchmark 72 handicap at Warwick Farm earlier this month.

Rachel King, on board for both of those efforts, is again set to ride here, however, her mount has to prove her stamina in this contest.

Preference on this occasion is for the Chris Waller-trained SEAFALL, who broke her maiden on a soft 5 track when contesting a 1500m maiden at Rosehill in February.

The filly had just one more start that prep, with that coming when finishing in mid-division in the Kembla Grange Classic over 1600m at Kembla Grange the following month.

A drop back to 1250m didn’t appear to suit when the pick resumed with a sixth, beaten four-and-a-half-lengths in a Benchmark 72 handicap at Canterbury last month.

Seafall was keen and began awkwardly on that occasion and she should be more at home over this distance.

James McDonald takes the ride for the first time here and, jumping from an inside alley, his mount looks capable of recording the second win of her career.

Punch to register win

The fifth race at Belmont is a 1400m Class 1 handicap with ONE PUNCH looking capable of building on some good placed efforts here this prep.

One Punch has finished in the first three in four of his five starts this time around, with the exception coming when sixth over 1300m here on his penultimate start.

While all five of those efforts have come on wet tracks, One Punch has performed well on a sound surface in the past, including when narrowly beaten at Ascot in February.

Russell Stewart’s representative arrives here on the back of a third-place finish when beaten just under two-and-a-half-lengths over 1400m earlier this month.

Jockey Brayden Gaerth takes a valuable two-kilograms off the gelding’s back and the pair look capable of recording a win in what looks a competitive contest.