Australian Racing: Tide can turn for Midnight Luna

There are a number of meetings scheduled to take place on Friday, including at Muswellbrook and Ballarat.

Race 7 Muswellbrook

Yorikiri @ SP

Race 5 Ballarat

Radstar @ 7.00

Race 5 Goulburn

Midnight Luna @ 3.20 

Yorikiri to salute at Muswellbrook

The penultimate race on the Muswellbrook card is a 1500m Benchmark 82 handicap expected to take place on a soft 5 surface.

Five-year-old Sizzle Minizzle is expected to feature prominently in the market, having registered his fifth career win when successful at Dubbo earlier this month.

The gelding came home over a length clear of his 11 rivals when contesting a similar race to this over 1400m that day.

Brett Robb’s representative registered a victory on a wet track that day and he boasts a good barrier six from the rail here.

However, preference is for Paul Perry’s YORIKIRI, who is dropping back in distance as he chases his third win of 2025.

The son of Mikki Isle’s two previous wins have both come at Port Macquarie, including by nearly a length in an 1812m Benchmark 58 handicap at the start of March.

Yorikiri has placed in two of his three subsequent outings, with the most recent of those a two length third over 1800m back at Port Macquarie at the end of April.

The six-year-old raced on a heavy surface that day and, while he is yet to win on going rated soft, he has two victories on heavy and two wins on good going to his name.

Anna Roper takes the ride here and her mount is taken to register his second win from four starts over this distance. 

Radstar to record first up win

They are set to race on the synthetic track at Ballarat, with the fifth race of the day a 1400m Benchmark 58 handicap.

Reece Goodwin’s Albanian Star is expected to start as favourite, having placed third in a Benchmark 0-58 handicap over 1200m here earlier this prep.

The daughter of Scissor Kick went on to lose out by less than a length when runner-up in a 1400m Class 1 handicap at Seymour next time.

This five-year-old disappointed next time but came close to defying a wide barrier when one-and-a-half-lengths fifth over 1400m at Echuca last month. 

While the mare boasts a good barrier here, RADSTAR is the pick for the Thomas Carberry stable.

Radstar is a previous winner here, having broken through for her first win when saluting by nearly two lengths in a 1500m maiden in July last year.

The daughter of Adelaide went on to finish third in a Benchmark 58 handicap over the same track and trip the following month.

Radstar was spelled following a disappointing last of eight when contesting a course and distance Benchmark 58 handicap two weeks later.

The six-year-old had a couple of barrier trials at this venue last month and she is taken to resume with a win under jockey Eoin Walsh. 

Midnight to salute at Goulburn

The fifth race at Goulburn is a 1500m Benchmark 58 handicap expected to take place on a soft 5 track. 

Panzer Division filly MIDNIGHT LUNA takes the eye in this event having registered victories in two of her three starts over this distance.

The most recent of those victories saw the filly get home by a narrow margin in a 1460m Class 1 handicap at Queanbeyan. 

The four-year-old raced on good going when recording her second win at Queanbeyan that day, having broken her maiden on soft ground there in November last year.

Rob Potter’s filly arrives here on the back of a second-place finish when beaten less than a length in a 1400m Benchmark 58 handicap at this venue at the end of last month. 

Midnight Luna boasts a good barrier here and looks up to registering the third win of her career.