Australian Racing: Shinn to steer home Sandown winner

There are five meetings scheduled to take place on Wednesday, including a bumper 12-race offering from Ascot.

They also race at Doomben, Oakbank, Sandown and Wyong.

Race 6 Sandown

Excelindeed @ 4.20

Race 11 Ascot

Cavallo Red @ 5.50

Race 7 Doomben

Missile One @ 3.60

Excelindeed set for Sandown success

They are set to race on the Hillside track at Sandown, with the sixth race of the day a 1400m Benchmark 70 handicap.

Ciaron Maher’s Kalkallo is expected to prove popular with punters, with all four of the gelding’s previous starts coming at this venue.

The Alabama Express gelding debuted with a win over 1300m on the Lakeside track here in August prior to finishing runner-up over the same distance on the Hillside circuit.

The three-year-old has performed well in both starts this prep, including when losing out by a narrow margin over 1300m in a Benchmark 64 handicap last month.

The youngster steps up in distance here and, while he holds obvious claims, EXCELINDEED is preferred on this occasion.

The gelding showed plenty of ability in maiden company in 2024 and he broke through for his first win when resuming at Seymour last month.

The 4.20 selection came home nearly two-and-a-half lengths clear of his rivals when contesting a 1200m maiden held on a good 4 track that day.

The son of Exceed And Excel jumped as an odds-on favourite for a 1200m Benchmark 64 handicap at Pakenham on his most recent outing at the end of last month.

The pick lost out by less than half-a-length when placing second that day and he is expected to appreciate the step up in distance he gets here.

Blake Shinn takes the ride for the first time and he looks up to steering the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained gelding to victory.

Cavallo Red to record Ascot win

A 12-race card is scheduled for Ascot, with the penultimate race of the day a 1400m Class 3 handicap.

The Daniel & Ben Pearce-trained Perfect Chant is expected to jump as favourite on just her fifth career start.

The three-year-old debuted with a victory at Belmont in September, prior to finishing fourth at Bunbury the following month, with both of those efforts coming over 1200m.

The daughter of Toronado resumed with a good third in a 16-runner Listed contest over the same distance at Pinjarra last month.

While the filly failed to shine when down the field at Ascot at the start of this month, she jumped from a wide barrier that day and an inside alley is a positive stepping up in distance.

So You Think gelding CAVALLO RED has won just once from 14 starts, however, he has been in good form this prep finishing in the first three in each of his four starts.

All four of those efforts have come at this venue, with the most recent of those seeing him beaten just under one-and-a-half lengths over 1500m last month.

That form is working out well, with the second and fourth (twice) both winning at this venue subsequently and the seventh going on to salute at Bunbury.

The 5.50 selection had previously been beaten less than a length when third in a course and distance contest under his jockey here Brayden Gaerth.

Sean & Jake Casey’s representative boasts a decent barrier here and he is taken to record his first win since saluting on a wet track at Belmont in July last year.

Missile One to fire at Doomben

A soft 5 track is expected at Doomben, with the penultimate race of the day a 1200m Class 3 handicap.

Jack Bruce’s MISSILE ONE takes the eye here, having shown good form in two starts so far this season.

The filly made her first start since May last year when finishing a good third over 1000m in a Benchmark 58 handicap at Sunshine Coast at the start of last month.

The 3.60 selection raced on a good 4 surface that day, with the switch to a wet track no issue when winning by over six lengths in a Class 1 handicap at the same venue later that month.

The son of Smart Missile appeared to appreciate the step up to 1200m on that occasion and she gets in off a low weight here.

An inside barrier is a further positive for the four-year-old and she looks up to following up with Taylor Marshall again in the saddle.