Australian Racing: Spangled Sipper can take down Kyneton rivals

There are a number of meetings scheduled to take place on Thursday, including at both Newcastle and Albury in New South Wales.

Race 7 Newcastle

Wooloowin @ 4.60

Race 7 Albury

Asgarda @ 4.40

Race 6 Kyneton

Spangled Sipper @ 3.20

Wooloowin to take Qualifier

The seventh race on the Newbury card is a 1400m Class 5 Provincial Midway Championship Qualifier set to take place on a good 4 track.

Sara Ryan’s Matcha Latte has placed on both starts at this venue and is expected to prove popular with punters.

The five-year-old ended 2024 with a half-length defeat in the 1500m Group 3 Australian Bloodstock Cameron Handicap at this venue in September.

This gelding raced on a sound surface that day and lost out narrowly when placing third in a similar race to this held over course and distance on his return to action at the start of this month.

Ashley Morgan’s mount rates highly in this field, however, preference is for the filly WOOLOOWIN who is set to make her return to action following a break.

The daughter of Capitalist won twice last prep, including by a narrow margin over 1150m when contesting a Benchmark 72 handicap on the Kensington track at Randwick.

Victory that day took the four-year-old’s first up record to two wins and a third from three attempts and she went on to place over 1200m at Kembla Grange next time.

Trained by Nathan Doyle, the filly ended that prep with an impressive victory by over two-and-a-half-lengths in a $250,000 Class 4 plate contest at Sunshine Coast’s Magic Millions meeting in January.

The wet track failed to hinder the filly on that occasion and, jumping from barrier 14, she is taken to resume with a victory.

Asgarda to resume with win

The finale on a seven-race card at Albury is an 1175m open handicap expected to take place on a good 4 track.

Six-year-old Burrandana is expected to feature prominently in the betting, having shown good form in three starts since returning from over 10 months off the track.

This gelding resumed with a victory in a Class 3 handicap at Gundagai in November and has gone on to deliver placed efforts at Wagga on both subsequent starts.

The most recent of those saw him place second in a 16-runner $150,000 Class 5 event held over 1400m at the start of this month.

This son of Duporth jumped as favourite that day and rates highly dropping having finished third over 1200m in a Class 4 event at the same venue prior.

However, John Kissick’s mount ASGARDA is the selection on this occasion, having won twice and placed second twice from her five starts first up.

Asgarda’s latest first up effort saw her get home by just under a length when contesting a 1000m Benchmark 82 handicap at Wagga in September.

The five-year-old went on to deliver solid efforts in her three subsequent outings last prep, with two of those coming in the city, including when fourth in a 1300m Benchmark 78 handicap at Rosehill.

That effort came on the mare’s penultimate outing and she was spelled following a half-length second in a 1400m open handicap at Gundagai in November.

Trained by Doug Gorrel, Asgarda has forecast underfoot conditions to suit, while she is a versatile type with regard to tactics and with that in mind barrier 13 shouldn’t pose an issue.

Spangled Sipper to salute at Kyneton

A soft 5 surface is expected for Kyneton’s eight-race program with the sixth race of the day an 1875m Benchmark 58 handicap.

Andrew Bobbin’s SPANGLED SIPPER placed second in an 1856m Benchmark 58 handicap on a soft surface here in April last year and she takes the eye on her fifth start this prep.

The four-year-old recorded the second win of her career when successful by nearly two-and-a-half-lengths in a 1600m Benchmark 58 handicap at Echuca at the end of December.

This filly has been beaten less than one-and-a-half-lengths in both subsequent starts, including when fourth in a heat of the Country Mile Series at Ballarat last month.

Spangled Sipper came home fourth over 1600m that day and with Jarrod Fry up she looks capable of recording her second win of the season.