Australian Racing: Taltarni Fields can bloom at Ipswich

There are a number of meetings scheduled on Friday, including at Swan Hill, where the first day of their three day meeting is due to take place.

Race 7 Swan Hill

Deekay @ 4.60

Race 7 Dubbo

Zakor @ 3.80

Race 6 Ipswich

Taltarni Fields @ SP

Deekay to claim Golden Topaz

The highlight on the opening day at Swan Hill is the penultimate race on the card, the $150,000 Golden Topaz, a 1200m Open contest.

The New Zealand-bred Rue De Royale has been contesting stronger events than he gets here and he is expected to jump as favourite.

This son of Per Incanto has a Group 3 placing to his name having finished second in the Blue Sapphire at Caulfield in November.

The colt has since placed in Listed company at Bendigo, while he arrives here on the back of a fifth over 1400m when racing on a wet track at Flemington last month.

Harry Coffey’s mount holds obvious claims dropping back in distance, however, preference is for DEEKAY for the Anthony Chibnall stable.

The five-year-old has finished in the first three in each of his last six starts, including when saluting by a narrow margin over 1200m at Echuca three starts back.

Deekay raced on a good surface when jumping at $1.75 that day and he went on to place third in a small field Benchmark 84 handicap at Moonee Valley next time.

The Hellbent gelding stepped up to Listed company to place second when jumping from a double figure barrier over 1200m at Flemington last time out. 

Deekay raced on a wet track that day and, while he handles wet conditions, only one of his five previous wins have come on soft or heavy ground.

Barrier nine shouldn’t pose Linda Meech’s mount any issues here and he looks up to recording his second win of the season. 

Zakor to score at Dubbo

A wet track is expected at Dubbo with a soft 7 forecast for their eight-race card.

The penultimate contest is a 1000m Benchmark 82 handicap which is expected to see Iron Hat feature prominently in the betting for trainer Jan Bowen.

The son of Salade has placed third in two of his last three starts, including in a 1000m Open event at Gunnedah last month. 

The gelding had been freshened prior to that effort, having failed to shine in finishing last of nine in a metro Benchmark 78 handicap at Randwick the previous month. 

While Aaron Bullock’s mount holds obvious claims in this field, he has to concede weight to Epaulette gelding ZAKOR in this contest.

The six-year-old is preferred here, having demonstrated good form in 2024, including when saluting by over a length in a 1000m Benchmark 74 handicap in August.

Zakor raced at Benchmark 74 level that day and he went on to perform well when runner-up in a 1200m Benchmark 68 handicap at Wyong the following month. 

That effort marked Justin Bowen’s representative’s final start of 2024 and he resumed with a fifth in the previously mentioned Gunnedah event.

Notably the selection usually improves for his first start back and racing second up he is taken to reverse form with Iron Hat to deliver the fifth win of his career.  

Fields to complete double

Eight races have been scheduled for Queensland with the sixth race of the day a 1200m Class 4 handicap.

A soft 6 track is expected for the race with TALTARNI FIELDS taking the eye for the Kelly Schweida stable.

The four-year-old won twice at metro level last prep, including in a 1200m Class 2 event held on a wet track at Doomben in November. 

Taltarni Fields was spelled following a mid-division finish over the same distance at Sunshine Coast two starts later and he resumed back at Sunshine Coast last month.

Facing just four rivals, the son of Deep Field justified $1.85 favouritism in saluting by a length in a 1000m Class 3 handicap.

While this event appears more competitive, the gelding ticks plenty of boxes here and looks up to recording the fifth win of his career.