Australian Racing: The Instructor to teach rivals a lesson

The second day of the Warrnambool May Racing Carnival is one of a number of meetings scheduled to take place on Wednesday.

Race 8 Warrnambool

The Instructor @ 5.00

Race 7 Canterbury

Ahuriri @ 5.00

Race 9 Ipswich

She’s Got Veuve @ 8.00

Instructor for Listed glory

It’s Galleywood Day at Warrnambool with the eighth race on the card the Listed Wangoom Handicap over 1200m.

A soft 6 track is expected for the race with Hedged set to jump as favourite for the feature race.

Trained by Mick Price & Michael Kent Jr, the gelding placed in Group 3 company at Kembla Grange earlier this season and returned from a spell with a Benchmark 96 fifth at Moonee Valley last month.

The son of Capitalist took a step forward when beaten half-a-length in the Listed Hareeba Stakes over this distance on a sound surface at Mornington earlier this month.

Ben Melham, on board at Mornington, is again set to ride and his mount holds obvious claims of recording a win on his first start at this track.

The winner of both of the previous contests was THE INSTRUCTOR, who hails from the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott stable.

This four-year-old won by a narrow margin at Mornington and he boasts a strong wet track record having won half of his four starts on wet surfaces.

Those two wins represent an improvement in form this prep, with the son of Russian Revolution having made his final start of 2024 when sixteenth in an Eagle Farm Group 3 back in June.

The Instructor is another set to make his first appearance at this venue and he boasts a strong record having won 60% of his starts (3/5) over this distance.

Jett Stanley, on board for both victories this prep, is again set to ride here and jumping from an inside barrier his mount looks up to completing a hat-trick.

Ahuriri to record second up success

Eight races have been scheduled for Canterbury with the penultimate contest a 1900m Benchmark 72 handicap expected to take place on a heavy 9 track.

Siyouni gelding Perfect Play is set to jump as favourite having finished third in two of his last three starts.

The first of those third-place finishes saw him beaten two lengths over 2000m when contesting a Benchmark 84 handicap at Flemington at the start of last month.

This five-year-old arrives here on the back of a defeat by less than a length when placing third over 1800m in a Hawkesbury Benchmark 78 handicap earlier this month.

The gelding has to concede weight to New Zealand-bred filly AHURIRI here however and she is preferred for trainer Chris Waller.

This daughter of Almanzor won in Listed company when taking out the VRC St Leger over 2800m at Flemington in April last year.

However, she has been unable to win since then, including when sixth in a Benchmark 96 handicap over the same track and trip in early November.

Ahuriri has made just two subsequent appearances returning from a spell with a good fifth in the previously mentioned Hawkesbury contest.

The four-year-old was beaten less than one-and-a-half-lengths on that occasion and, with the extra distance here in her favour, she looks up to returning to winning ways.

Veuve for Ipswich victory

A soft 7 track is expected at Ipswich with the penultimate race on their 10-race card a 1700m Benchmark 78 handicap.

Chris Waller’s SHE’S GOT VEUVE takes the eye, despite her wide barrier having been in good form prior to finishing seventh over 1615m at Doomben earlier this month.

The four-year-old was beaten over seven lengths that day but is better judged on her close third in a 1600m Class 3 Plate event at Eagle Farm prior to that.

Both of those efforts came on wet tracks, with the filly looking for her second win of the year, having won by over a length in a 1600m contest at Eagle Farm three starts back.

The daughter of Merchant Navy has gone well on a wet track in the past and she looks capable of recording the fourth win of her career.