Australian Racing: Shiny New Deel can dazzle at Sandown

There’s plenty of racing action on Wednesday, including at Warwick Farm where a seven-race card is scheduled.

Race 6 Warwick Farm

Custo @ 5.00

Race 7 Sandown Lakeside

Shiny New Deel @ 4.60

Race 6 Belmont

Triple Jay @ 2.30

Custo for Warwick Farm glory

The sixth race at Warwick Farm is a 1000m Benchmark 72 handicap set to take place on a soft 7 track.

Top weight Mafia is expected to have his supporters having registered wins in two of his three starts this prep.

The first of those saw the gelding salute by over two lengths, when contesting an 1100m Class 1 handicap at Wyong when racing first up in June.

The four-year-old has also won in Benchmark 64 handicap company at Kembla Grange this season, a race in which he finished nearly five-lengths clear of his nearest pursuer.

Those victories sandwiched a heavy defeat in an 1100m metro Benchmark 72 handicap at Randwick however.

All three of those efforts have come on soft tracks and, while Peter Snowden’s gelding warrants utmost respect, CUSTO is the selection here.

The five-year-old ended his last prep with a seventh in a 1000m Benchmark 72 handicap held on the Kensington track at Randwick in February.

Custo was spelled following that effort and lost out by just under half-a-length when resuming with a second in a Benchmark 74 handicap at Dubbo last month.

The son of Deep Field finished one place better when saluting by two-and-a-half-lengths in an open handicap held over 1100m at the same venue earlier this month.

Cameron Crockett’s gelding boasts a good barrier in two here and the trainer's representative here boasts a 50% strike-rate (3/6) when racing on tracks rated soft.

Nash Rawiller is set to partner the gelding for this one and he can steer him to his sixth victory in thirteen career starts.

Shiny for Sandown success

They are set to race on the Lakeside track at Sandown with the seventh race of the day a 1400m Benchmark 74 handicap event.

Hola Amigos is expected to jump as favourite for the race having delivered victories in two of his five starts this prep.

Those two victories include a near three-length triumph when racing on a soft 6 track over 1400m here earlier this month.

The gelding raced in a Benchmark 64 handicap that day and, while he won easily, he has more on his plate jumping from a wide alley stepping up in grade.

Pakenham maiden winner SHINY NEW DEEL failed to make an impact in his final two starts last prep.

However, one of those came when racing in Group 2 company in a 1400m event at Caulfield in February.

Shiny New Deel resumed with a decent seventh when beaten just over three-and-a-half-lengths in the VRC Member Leigh Hughes Trophy over 1400m at Flemington last month.

The son of Dundeel raced on a soft 7 track that day and returned to winning ways when a success in a Benchmark 70 handicap on the Hillside track here on 31st July.

This four-year-old raced from barrier eight last time out and, with an inside alley and underfoot conditions to suit, he looks capable of following up.

Jay for Belmont glory

The sixth race on the Belmont Park card is a Benchmark 82 handicap over 1650m.

The Daniel & Ben Pearce-trained TRIPLE JAY arrives here in excellent form as the winner of four of his last five starts.

This five-year-old completed a hat-trick when saluting by just over a length in a Benchmark 84+ handicap over 1400m at this venue earlier this month.

Triple Jay jumped from barrier eight when winning on a soft 7 track that day and he should have no issues starting from barrier six.

The pick boasts a strong record at this venue, having finished in the first three in all bar one of his seven starts and he looks up to completing a four-timer.