Australian Racing: Rose to run Riot at Werribee

There are six meetings meetings scheduled to take place on Sunday including at Werribee, where the Listed Werribee Cup is the main attraction.

They also race at Armidale, Bunbury, Hawkesbury, Murray Bridge and Sunshine Coast.

Race 7 Werribee

Riot And Rose @ 3.50

Race 7 Armidale

Dreamdeel @ 5.50

Race 8 Sunshine Coast

Kubwa @ 5.00

Rose to bloom in Werribee Cup

The Listed Werribee Cup is a 1600m handicap contest expected to take place on a good 4 track.

Ciaron Maher’s Cosmic Vega is expected to have his supporters having recorded his first victory of the season when successful in the Bet365 Kilmore Cup at Kilmore last time out.

The seven-year-old raced over 1600m on a heavy 8 surface on that occasion having delivered a fourth-place finish in Mornington’s Peninsula Cup prior.

The good 4 track here is no issue having won on a sound surface in the past, however barrier 16 may prove more troublesome for jockey Declan Bates.

With the barrier in mind, preference is for Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman’s RIOT AND ROSE, the mount of Linda Meech.

The gelding has been allocated barrier seven here, having broken through for his first win this prep when taking out the 1590m bet365 Wodonga Gold Cup at Wodonga at the end of last month.

The 3.50 grey finished strongly when challenging wide in the straight that day and he looks ready for the step up to Listed company.

The son of Pins finished strongly on that occasion, having registered his first placed effort of the campaign when runner-up over 1400m at Flemington previously.

The selection gets in off a nice racing weight in this contest and looks capable of completing a double on his first start at this venue.

Dreamdeel to triumph in Armidale Cup

The seventh race of the day at Armidale is the 1900m Armidale Cup, a 1900m open handicap contest that carries Big Dance eligibility.

Ray Hartley’s Ring Ahoy is expected to jump as favourite, with the gelding having finished runner-up over 2000m at Quirindi three starts back.

That effort came at Benchmark 66 handicap and he followed that up with a good fourth dropped to 1600m for a Class 3 handicap at Newcastle.

The five-year-old drops down from metro level racing here, having finished down the field at Rosehill last weekend and he holds obvious claims with apprentice Siena Grima up.

Jockey Shae Wilkes has experienced Cup success aboard DREAMDEEL already, with the pair having taken out the 1614m Wingham Cup at Taree in June.

The apprentice rides the gelding for just the third time here, having finished runner-up on the six-year-old in a 1600m Benchmark 68 handicap at Newcastle next time out.

The 5.50 selection has registered a number of placed efforts since and recorded his sixth career win when triumphing on a soft 6 surface over 1500m at Newcastle at the start of last month.

While Allan Kehoe’s representative has shown his best form on wet tracks, he handles good going having finished third on a good 3 track at Wyong two weeks ago.

The son of Dundeel boasts an inside barrier here and is taken to record his second win of the year.

Kubwa to take Sunshine Coast finale

The finale at Sunshine Coast was a Benchmark 62 handicap over 1400m.

The race is set to take place on a soft 5 track, with KUBWA selected to register a victory racing second up.

The five-year-old ended his last prep with a narrow defeat when contesting a 1200m Benchmark 58 handicap on a soft 6 surface at the start of July.

The gelding was spelled following that effort and resumed with a defeat by just under one-and-a-half-lengths when third over 1300m at this venue.

The 5.00 pick lost a plate, having raced prominently in a Benchmark 58 handicap that day and the extra 100m here should prove no issue having placed over track and trip in the past.

Trainer Billy Healey’s string are running well at present and his representative looks well placed to return to winning ways.