Australian Racing: Seonee for Swan Hill success

There’s plenty of racing action scheduled for Sunday, including at Swan Hill, where the feature race is the bet365 Swan Hill Cup.

Race 8 Swan Hill

Seonee @ 7.00

Race 6 Wyong

Whetu @ 8.50

Race 8 Sunshine Coast

Termagant @ SP

Seonee to salute at Swan Hill

The previously mentioned bet365 Swan Hill Cup comes up as the penultimate race on a nine-race card.

A good 4 track is expected for the 1600m contest, with The Open expected to feature at the end of the betting for the Patrick & Michelle Payne team.

The gelding has been in good form since resuming with a seven-length fourth of five over 1400m when contesting Cranbourne’s Apache Cat Classic in April.

The five-year-old raced over 1400m that day and both of his subsequent efforts have come over the same distance, including when third at Sandown last time.

That Sandown effort saw the son of Deep Field beaten just over two lengths when contesting a Benchmark 100 handicap held on the Hillside course.

Neil Farley’s mount holds obvious claims on his first start at this venue, however, a wide barrier is a negative in this event. 

Stablemate SEONEE has gone well at a much higher level in the past, including when successful in the Group 2 Queen Of The South Stakes at Morphettville in April last year.

The pick came home one-and-a-half-lengths clear of her rivals that day and, while unable to win since, she has performed with credit.

The six-year-old came within two lengths of recording back-to-back wins in that Group 2 contest, when finishing seventh back at Morphettville on her penultimate start.

The daughter of Winning Rupert went on to finish seventh in the previously mentioned Sandown event and she boasts a good barrier four from the rail.

Billy Egan is on board for the first time this prep and his mount looks capable of returning to winning ways. 

Whetu to record Wyong win

Testing conditions are forecast at Wyong with a heavy 8 track expected for their eight-race card.

The sixth race of the day is a 2000m Benchmark 64 handicap which features Matthew Smith’s Millie De Lune.

This three-year-old is expected to start favourite to record her second win, having broken her maiden by over four lengths at Newcastle at the start of last month.

The filly raced over 1500m that day and has gone well in two subsequent starts, including when third in a 1900m Benchmark 64 handicap at Canterbury last time.

Richard Collett’s WHETU is the pick on this occasion however, with the gelding unbeaten in two starts at this venue.

The most recent of those victories saw him triumph by over three-and-a-half-lengths in a similar race to this over track and trip just over a year ago. 

While not at his best in three starts this prep, he was beaten less than two lengths when runner-up in a three runner event at Goulburn last time.

The selection contested a 2100m Benchmark 64 handicap that day, having previously finished a well held sixth over 1800m in a metro contest at Kensington. 

Benjamin Osmond, on board for two of his three starts this prep, takes a valuable two kilograms off his back and the pair look capable of recording a win in this event. 

Termagant to resume with victory

A soft 7 track is expected at Sunshine Coast with the eighth race of the day a 1000m Benchmark 75 handicap.

TERMAGANT takes the eye here, having shown good form in winning two of his four starts last prep.

Those two starts both came in the city following a win over 1110m at Doomben with a triumph stepped up to 1200m for a Class 6 event at Eagle Farm.

While both of those victories came on a sound surface, the daughter of Deep Field has won three times from five starts in wet conditions.

All three of those wet track triumphs have come at this venue, including when winning over this course and distance in a three-year-old handicap in July last year.

The selection was successful on a heavy track that day and with a good barrier here she is taken to record a first up win under apprentice Fiona Sandkuhl.