Australian Racing: Sioux has Spirit to succeed at Caulfield

There are six meetings scheduled to take place on Thursday including at Caulfield, where they are due to race on the Heath course.

They also race at Albany, Ballina, Hawkesbury, Ipswich and Townsville.

Race 4 Caulfield Heath

Sioux Spirit @ 4.60

Race 7 Ballina

Cold One @ 2.90

Race 6 Hawkesbury

Glorioso @ 8.50

Spirit set to salute at Caulfield

The fourth race at Caulfield Heath is a 1000m Benchmark 0-64 handicap expected to take place on a soft 7 surface.

Trained by Patrick F Ryan Jnr, Stokke is expected to have her supporters as she bids to return from a spell with a victory.

The filly demonstrated good form in her first prep racing including when saluting over 903m in maiden company when debuting at Mount Gambier in April.

While the four-year-old could finish only sixth at Sandown subsequently, it’s of note that she was beaten just over a length when racing over 1000m that day.

Two solid placed efforts followed, including in a metro event at Morphettville Parks when racing over 1000m on a wet track at the end of June.

Blake Shinn’s mount crosses the border here and, while she rates highly, preference is for SIOUX SPIRIT.

The daughter of Sioux Nation has a wide barrier here, however, she has demonstrated plenty of ability in her four starts to date.

The filly is another to have made the perfect start to her racing career, this time when debuting with a win over 1112m at Geelong in April.

A good second when contesting a 16-runner 1100m event down the straight at Flemington followed, with the 4.60 filly spelled following a Mornington sixth in June.

Jerome Hunter’s representative was unable to register a first up win when third under Logan Bates in a 1000m Benchmark 58 handicap at Mornington earlier this month.

However, it’s notable that she weas racing on a sound surface for the first time that day and back on a forecast wet track she is taken to salute under Dakotah Keane.

Cold to complete hat-trick

The penultimate contest on Ballina’s eight-race card is a 1412m Benchmark 66 handicap expected to take place on a heavy 8 track.

The New Zealand-bred gelding Five Rings is expected to feature prominently in the betting, having registered good efforts in defeat in each of his last two starts.

The first of those saw him beaten just over a half-a-length when third on a wet track in a Benchmark 62 handicap at Gold Coast last month.

A step up to metro level followed, with the five-year-old finishing just under three lengths fourth when contesting a 1350m event at Doomben when last in action just under three weeks ago.

However, he meets an in-form rival in COLD ONE, with the son of Akeed Mofeed preferred having registered wins in three of his last five starts.

The gelding’s most recent success saw him come home half-a-length clear of his rivals when contesting a 1400m Class 3 event at Gold Coast at the start of this month.

Glen Thornton’s representative raced on a wet track that day, having also raced in wet conditions when taking out a Benchmark 58 event over 1310m at Lismore on his previous start.

While both of those victories came on soft surfaces, the 2.90 selection has placed second on both previous starts on the forecast heavy going and should have no issues in that regard here.

Apprentice Sariah Champkin, on board for both of those victories, is again set to ride here and the pair look capable of recording their third consecutive win together.

Glorioso goes for Hawkesbury glory

The sixth race at Hawkesbury is an 1100m Benchmark 64 handicap event expected to take place on a good 4 track.

Three-year-old filly GLORIOSO takes the eye for the James Cummings team, having registered a narrow victory when racing over this track and trip on her penultimate start.

The 8.50 daughter of Epaulette raced on a sound surface that day prior to finishing last of four when beaten just under three lengths at Rosehill subsequently.

That Rosehill effort came at Benchmark 68 level on her first start over 1200m and she is expected to appreciate the drop back in distance.

Benjamin Osmond takes a valuable two kilograms off her back and, returning to provincial level racing, his mount looks up to registering a win.