Australian Racing: Rise to land Belmont Glory

There are four metro meetings set to take place on Wednesday, including at Randwick, where they are set to race on the Kensington track.

Race 4 Kensington

State Of America @ 7.50

Race 5 Sandown

Extreme Virtue @ 5.50

Race 5 Belmont

Rise To Glory @ 3.20

America for Kensington success

A good 4 track is expected at Randwick with the fourth race of the day an 1800m Benchmark 78 handicap.

A field of just eight will go to post here, with the ex-New Zealand-trained Campaldino expected to jump as favourite.

The gelding performed well over further earlier this season, including a good third in a 2400m Benchmark 78 handicap at Rosehill in September.

This son of Ghibellines was spelled following a fifth of seven in the 2400m Group 3 Colin Stephen Quality back at Rosehill two weeks later.

Campaldino came close to resuming with a win when contesting a 1400m Benchmark 72 handicap at this venue earlier this month.

Extra distance here is a positive, with the youngest horse in the field ticking plenty of boxes for the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott team.

However, STATE OF AMERICA is preferred on this occasion for the David Payne stable with improvement expected racing second up.

The five-year-old failed to make an impact when registering an 11th-place finish, having jumped at big odds for a 1400m Benchmark 88 handicap at Rosehill on his return to action.

State Of America raced from off the pace that day and stepping up in distance he is better judged on the form that saw him complete a hat-trick when victorious over 2000m at Rosehill in November.

The gelding won by half-a-length when contesting a Benchmark 78 handicap that day and he delivered a decent effort when fifth in Listed company back at Rosehill next time.

Apprentice Anna Roper boasts a near 29% strike-rate (2/7) from just a handful of rides here and her mount looks up to recording a second up success.

Virtue to salute at Sandown

They are scheduled to race on the Hillside track at Sandown with the fifth race of the day a 1400m Benchmark 78 handicap restricted to fillies & mares.

A soft 5 track is forecast, with the Enver Jusufovic-trained Proved set to put her unbeaten record on the line having won all four previous starts.

The most recent of those saw her triumph by nearly two-and-a-half-lengths in a small field 1200m Benchmark 70 handicap at Pakenham just under two weeks ago.

This filly made all on that occasion and, while she has yet to race on a wet track, she holds obvious claims stepping up in distance.

Ben, JD & Will Hayes-trained EXTREME VIRTUE is the pick here however, having won all three starts so far this season.

Two of those victories have come on the soft 5 track expected here, including in a 1500m Benchmark 64 handicap at Ballarat on her penultimate start.

Extreme Virtue has been spelled since winning by half-a-length in a 1700m benchmark 80 handicap at Caulfield in October and she has gone well first up in the past.

Craig Williams has won three times on Extreme Virtue in the past, including at Caulfield, and jumping from next to the rail the pair look capable of recording their fourth win together.

Rise for Belmont glory

They are also set to race in Perth, with Belmont scheduled to play host to seven races, including a Class 3 handicap over 1200m that comes up as the fifth race on the card.

Sue Olive saddles RISE TO GLORY here, with her gelding having placed over this course and distance earlier this season.

The three-year-old, who broke his maiden at Northam two starts late, was spelled following a ninth-place finish in a Class 1 handicap at Ascot in early November.

Rise To Glory demonstrated improvement when recording a first up win in a similar contest held over the same track and trip earlier this month.

The son of Rommel raced on a good track that day and he boasts a good barrier with similar underfoot conditions expected.

Patrick Carbery takes the ride for the first time and his mount is taken to complete a double.