Australian Racing: Phils can show true Colours at Dubbo

We have four meetings for Tuesday, including at Taree where a seven-race program is scheduled.

Race 5 Taree

Zoubeauty @ 6.50

Race 4 Dubbo

Phils Colours @ 17.00

Race 5 Cairns

Fodor @ 2.60

Zoubeauty to triumph at Taree

The fifth race on the Taree card is a 1005m Class 1 handicap set to take place on a soft 5 track.

Etude is expected to jump as favourite for the Kris Lees table, having made the perfect start to her racing career at Muswellbrook in June.

The three-year-old justified odds-on favouritism in winning by just under a length on that occasion and she was spelled following that success.

Etude has had two barrier trials ahead of her return to action, with the best of those two efforts coming when successful over 1000m at Hawkesbury last month.

While Christian Reith’s mount holds obvious claims here, the slightly more experienced ZOUBEAUTY is the pick for this one.

The filly gained plenty of barrier trial experience prior to making her debut at Newcastle in early October.

However, Zoubeauty failed to make much impact on that occasion, beating just one rival home when contesting a 900m maiden held on a good 4 track that day.

Significant improvement followed next time however, with Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald’s filly breaking through for her first win at Muswellbrook later that month.

The daughter of Zoustar came home over two lengths clear of her rivals, when a change of tactics saw her race from the front on a soft 5 track that day.

Mollie Fitzgerald’s mount boasts an inside barrier here and looks up to completing a double.

Colours for Dubbo success

A heavy 10 track is expected at Dubbo with the fourth race of the day a 1400m maiden plate.

Black Tiara is expected to feature prominently in the betting, having registered a solid three-length sixth at this venue on her penultimate start.

The mare was racing first up on that occasion having placed second twice in maiden company earlier this year.

Black Tiara went on to finish fifth when stepped back up to 1280m for a maiden at Orange later that month and she holds obvious claims jumping from barrier five.

The once-raced PHILS COLOURS is preferred at bigger odds here, having made five appearances in barrier trials prior to debuting here early last month.

Phils Colours was beaten just under a length when contesting a 1200m maiden held on a good 4 track at this circuit on that debut effort.

The gelding is untried in the forecast heavy going, however, he has a good barrier next to the rail here with Jake Pracey-Holmes, on board on debut, again set to ride.

Trained by Sharon Jeffries, the gelding is less exposed than his rivals and, with improvement expected, he is taken to break his maiden at the second time of asking.

Fodor for Cairns victory

The fifth race at Cairns is a 950m Benchmark 65 handicap expected to take place on a soft 7 track.

Trainer Stephen Massingham is set to saddle FODOR here, with the gelding registering three victories here last prep.

Those victories include a four-length triumph when contesting a 1250m Benchmark 60 handicap held on a good 4 track here in June.

Fodor was spelled following that effort that marked his second win in his final three starts last prep, having also scored over 1200m at Townsville in May.

The five-year-old raced from the front for all three of those efforts but was unable to dominate when resuming in a 950m handicap here last month.

Ryan Wiggins’ mount is expected to have improved for that effort and racing second up he is taken to return to winning ways.