Australian Racing: Ruminate looks good at Caulfield

There are five meetings for punters to follow on Thursday including at Caulfield, where they are set to race on the Heath course.

They also race at Albany, Ellerslie, Kembla Grange and Kyneton.

Race 6 Caulfield Heath

Ruminate @ 6.00

Race 7 Kembla Grange

American Starlet @ 13.00

Race 7 Kyneton

Dan's Echo @ 13.00

Ruminate goes for Caulfield glory

The sixth race on the Caulfield Heath card is a 1500m Benchmark 64 handicap set to take place on a good 4 surface.

The four-year-old Gallant Prince is expected to start as favourite to register his second victory of the year, having saluted by two lengths over 1400m at Pakenham in March.

The gelding has finished in the first three in three of his four subsequent starts, with the most recent of those coming when contesting a Benchmark 64 handicap over 1400m at Pakenham last month.

Clayton Douglas’ gelding was racing first up that day and he has been freshened since racing from the front in that contest.

Similar tactics are expected here with a rail draw a positive in that regard with blinkers replacing the winkers worn last time. 

However, RUMINATE is preferred on this occasion, having registered three good efforts following a success in a 1400m Benchmark 64 handicap on the synthetic track at Ballarat.

The gelding performed well at Benchmark 78 level when beaten one-and-a-half-lengths into third in a 1400m handicap event at Bendigo at the end of October.

The 6.00 pick went on to lose out by less than two lengths having met trouble in running in a 1600m Benchmark 70 handicap at Moonee Valley last month.

Trainer Matthew Cumani’s representative is expected to track the speed or race close to the speed in this contest with barrier five a positive in this field.

Jockey Jaylah Kennedy takes a useful two kilograms off the selection’s back and her mount looks capable of returning to winning ways.

Starlet to shine at Kembla Grange

The finale at Kembla Grange is a 1400m Benchmark 64 handicap contest.

A good 4 track is expected for the race, with the lightly raced Pocketing expected to have his supporters.

The three-year-old made the perfect start to his career when successful over 1200m at Nowra in August and he went on to place second over this track and trip next time.

That course and distance event came in a Class 1 event, a race in which the gelding finished strongly having been ridden cold.

Trained by Richard & Lee Freedman the youngster went down by a narrow margin over 1300m in a Class 1 handicap held on a soft 6 track at Hawkesbury last time out. 

John Thompson’s AMERICAN STARLET is preferred in this event, having broken her maiden when successful over 1500m at this venue in April.

The filly failed to shine in a 1600m metro event at Caulfield subsequently and she was spelled following that effort.

The 13.00 daughter of American Pharoah resumed with a half-length triumph when contesting a 1200m Class 1 handicap on a soft 5 track last month.

The runner-up that day has given the form a boost by saluting at Newcastle subsequently.

The four-year-old had to race widest of all and without cover when beating just one rival home in a Hawkesbury Benchmark 68 handicap last time out, but she can be forgiven for that effort.

While any softening of the going would aid her chances, she has the services of Alysha Collett here and is taken to return to winning ways wearing winkers for the first time.

Echo to score at Kyneton

The penultimate race of the day at Kyneton is an 1103m Benchmark 58 handicap for fillies and mares.

The race is set to take place on a soft 5 track, with Andrew Homann’s DAN'S ECHO the pick to register her third win this prep.

The six-year-old broke her maiden when jumping at $20 for a 1200m maiden at Naracoorte in August and recorded her second win when successful at Mount Gambier in October.

The 13.00 mare won by over a length when contesting a 1213m Restricted 56 handicap on that occasion and she can be forgiven for a heavy defeat in a metro event at Morphettville subsequently.

Jack Hill is set to ride for the first time here and his mount is taken to record a win, having been freshened since that Morphettville effort.