Australian Racing: Success at Pakenham Normal for Cartwright

There are five meetings set to take place across Australia on Monday including at Pakenham, where an eight-race card is on the schedule.

They also race at Albury, Alice Springs, Longreach and Tamworth.

Race 8 Pakenham

Wats Normal @ 6.50

Race 6 Albury

Jannik @ 5.00

Race 4 Tamworth

Descending Mist @ SP

Normal to register Pakenham win

The finale at Pakenham is a 1400m Benchmark 64 handicap scheduled to take place on the synthetic track.

The four-year-old Special Dancer is expected to start favourite here, having shown a liking for this venue in the past.

The filly has one win and three additional top-three finishes to her name from five outings at this track, with the victory coming over 1400m just under a year ago.

Phillip Stokes’ filly has made just four starts since that success and she resumed this prep with a win in a Benchmark 0-64 handicap over 1300m at Geelong recently.

While she holds obvious claims, preference on this occasion is for synthetic track debutant WATS NORMAL.

The gelding showed good form earlier this prep, including when breaking his maiden over 1400m at Werribee in April.

The 6.50 pick raced on a sound surface that day and again encountered good going when following up in impressive fashion in a 1457m Benchmark 58 handicap at Kilmore.

The son of Vancouver triumphed by nearly two-and-a-half lengths at Kilmore and he was stepped up to metro level racing at Sandown subsequently.

While unable to complete a hat-trick when racing in a Benchmark 64 handicap at Sandown, he registered a fair fifth of six having jumped at $19 that day.

The switch back to provincial level racing is a positive in this contest and he looks up to saluting under apprentice Luke Cartwright.

Jannik can claim back-to-back Albury wins

A heavy 9 track is expected at Albury with the penultimate event a Benchmark 82 handicap set to take place over 1400m.

Jato is set to feature prominently in the betting for the Danny Beasley stable, having made just five previous starts.

A debut winner at Wagga in November the filly won second up this prep when successful by over three lengths in a Class 1 event over 1400m here in April.

Both of those victories came on good going, with the filly encountering a wet track for the first time when fourth on a soft 5 at Corowa earlier this month.

While open to improvement, the daughter of Starcraft is unproven on the forecast heavy going and JANNIK is preferred here.

The four-year-old is a confirmed wet-track performer with two wins from three starts on tracks rated heavy.

The 5.00 gelding took his course record to two wins and a third from three starts when triumphing by two lengths in a 1600m Benchmark 66 handicap here last time.

The son of Winning Rupert lost out by less than a length when placing third in a 1500m Benchmark 58 handicap at this venue prior to that.

Barrier seven is no issue in this contest and he looks capable of scoring under Quayde Krogh.

Mist ready to salute at Tamworth

They are also set to race at Tamworth, with the fourth race a 2100m Benchmark 66 handicap.

A soft 6 surface is expected for the race, with DESCENDING MIST taking the eye for the Stirling Osland stable.

The four-year-old has finished in the first two in four of his last five starts, including when winning over 1900m at Armidale in April.

The selection raced on good ground that day, but has placed second on soft tracks in each of his last two starts.

The most recent of those efforts saw him lose out by half-a-length when contesting a Benchmark 66 handicap at Inverell last month.

The son of Bull Point should have no issues with the extra distance here, having performed well when runner-up in a 2150m race on his penultimate start.

Luke Rolls’ mount boasts an inside barrier here and looks up to recording the fourth win of his career.