Australian Racing: Persuaded to convince at Queanbeyan

There are eight meetings for punters to get involved with on Sunday, including at Queanbeyan, where seven races are on the schedule.

They also race at Ascot Park, Ballarat, Hobart, Mudgee, Northam, Port Augusta and Sunshine Coast.

Race 5 Queanbeyan

Almost Persuaded @ 4.80

Race 7 Ballarat

Governor King @ 6.50

Race 7 Northam

Camera Action @ SP

Persuaded goes for Queanbeyan glory

The fifth race at Queanbeyan is a 1460m Benchmark 82 handicap expected to take place on a good 4 surface.

The Andrew Bourke-trained Champions League is expected to jump as favourite for the race, having registered top four finishes in each of his last three starts.

Those efforts include a third over 1300m in an Open contest held on a wet track at Canberra at the start of last month.

A close-up second over 1400m at Albury followed prior to finishing fourth in a 1400m event back at Canberra last time.

While the six-year-old failed to shine on his only previous start at this track, that outing did come in the Allbids Queanbeyan Regional Cup over 1600m back in November.

Swede Rebecca Bronett Prag, on board for the gelding’s last three starts, is again set to ride and her mount holds obvious claims.

ALMOST PERSUADED is preferred in this race, however, having shown a liking for this venue in the past.

The daughter of Casino Prince has won four times from seven starts at this venue, including when saluting by over two lengths in a 1460m Benchmark 58 handicap here last month.

The 4.80 seven-year-old won on a wet track that day but is equally at home on a sound surface having won five times from seventeen outings on good going.

Trainer Rob Potter’s mount is chasing her third win of the prep, having previously taken out a Benchmark 74 handicap over 1400m at Tumut in February.

Caitlin Sinclair retains the ride and jumping from next to the rail her mount looks capable of recording a win.

King ready to reign at Ballarat

The seventh race on Ballarat’s eight-race card is an interesting 1600m Benchmark 64 handicap.

A good 4 track is expected for the race, with Professor Pickles expected to prove popular with punters following two second place finishes this prep.

The gelding resumed with a defeat by less than half-a-length when contesting a 1454m Benchmark 64 handicap held on good going at Kyneton just over a month ago.

The son of So You Think went on to lose out by a narrow margin when stepped up to 1600m for a similar event to this over course and distance later that month.

Trained by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, the four-year-old boasts a good barrier here and ticks plenty of boxes in this field.

Henry Dwyer’s GOVERNOR KING is preferred here, having shown improvement with racing this prep.

The gelding resumed with a six-and-a-half-length fifth when contesting a 1500m Benchmark 64 handicap held on good going at Geelong last month.

The 6.50 son of Fiorente went on to place third when stepped up to 1600m and switched to a wet track for a similar contest to this here just over two weeks later.

While both of the four-year-old’s previous efforts have come on wet tracks, he has placed in two of his three starts on the good ground forecast for this contest.

Barrier eight shouldn’t pose any issue in this event and racing third up he looks up to registering his second victory at this venue.

Camera in focus at Northam

Nine races have been scheduled for Northam, with the seventh contest the 1300m Racing AW Provincial Championship Heat, a Class 5 event expected to take place on a good 4 track.

The Shooting To Win filly CAMERA ACTION takes the eye here, having performed well in all three starts this time around.

The SP pick resumed with a defeat by just under half-a-length when contesting a 1200m Class 5 handicap at Ascot in March.

Two return visits to the Perth venue followed with the best of those seeing her triumph from barrier four when contesting a 1200m event just over two weeks ago.

Trained by Sean & Jake Casey the filly boasts a good barrier six from the rail and she looks up to completing the fourth win of her career.