Australian Racing: Scully has the X-Factor at Pakenham

There are four meetings scheduled to take place on Monday including at Pakenham, where eight races are on their card.

They also race at Narromine, Scone and Toowoomba.

Race 6 Pakenham

Scully @ 4.80

Race 7 Scone

Panta Rhei @ 5.00

Race 7 Narromine

Deion @ SP

Scully ready to score at Pakenham

The synthetic track is in use at Pakenham, with the sixth race of the day a 1200m Benchmark 70 handicap.

The Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Charcoals is expected to start favourite as he attempts to register back-to-back wins at this venue.

The three-year-old was racing second up when saluting by a length in an 1100m Benchmark 64 handicap here at the start of this month.

The gelding had previously finished a solid fifth in a seven-runner Benchmark 70 event over 1000m at Pakenham when making his return from a spell.

The son of Too Darn Hot jumped from barrier four last time out and has been allocated the same barrier here and he rates highly on his first attempt at this distance.

The year older SCULLY is preferred on this occasion, however, with him set to make his first appearance on a synthetic surface.

The Shooting To Win gelding has shown good form in two starts this prep, including when third over 1000m at Bendigo last month.

The 4.80 selection was making his first start of 2025 when beaten just over one-and-a-half lengths into third when contesting a Benchmark 64 handicap that day.

Trained by Andrew Noblet, he followed that effort up with a fourth-place finish when contesting a metro Benchmark 70 handicap at Sandown earlier this month.

The extra distance here shouldn’t pose any issues for Thomas Stockdale’s mount and he looks up to recording the third win of his career.

Panta set to shine at Scone

A soft 5 track is expected at Scone with the finale a Class 1 1200m handicap contest.

Solitario has shown up well in his two starts to date and he is expected to prove popular with punters.

The son of Pariah debuted with at two-length second in an 1100m maiden at Armidale in December.

The gelding was spelled following that debut and he stepped up to 1300m and switched to soft ground when breaking through for his first win here last month.

Paul Messara & Leah Gavranich’s representative has been freshened since that success and holds obvious claims here.

All three of Justin Drake’s PANTA RHEI's previous efforts have come on soft ground including when winning impressively over 1000m at Muswellbrook in November.

The 5.00 pick came home four-and-a-half-lengths clear of her nearest pursuer when debuting that day and backed that success up with a second here.

The Astern filly was spelled following that second-place finish, which came in a Benchmark 58 handicap contest over 1100m.

The three-year-old was beaten less than a length when contesting an 1100m Class 1 handicap at this track on her return to action last month.

The extra distance here shouldn’t pose an issue and she is taken to record a win with Jeff Penza, on board here in December, set to ride.

Deion to delight at Narromine

The seventh race at Narromine is an interesting 1300m Benchmark 66 handicap expected to take place on a good 4 track.

DEION has been running well of late, winning two of his last four starts, including when taking out a Benchmark 58 handicap over 1200m at Warren on his penultimate start.

The five-year-old won by just under half-a-length when jumping from a wide barrier that day and he backed that up with a good third dropped to 1100m at Coonamble.

The Akeed Mofeed gelding has forecast underfoot conditions to suit while he has placed on his only previous start over 1300m.

Apprentice Tilly McCarroll gets on well with Brett Robb’s representative with the pair looking capable of recording their third win together.