Australian Racing: Up The Front can lead the charge

It’s Cup Day on the concluding day of the Warrnambool May Festival with the meeting at The Bool one of a number set to take place on Thursday.

Race 9 Warrnambool

Ziryab @ 5.50

Race 6 Wyong

Up The Front @ 8.50

Race 8 Pinjarra

Side Show @ 5.50

Ziryab for Cup success

The feature race at The Bool comes up as the penultimate contest on a 10-race card.

Last year’s winner Mystery Island is among the runners declared for the big race, the $300,000 Warrnambool Cup over 2350m.

A soft 7 track is expected, with the Japanese-bred gelding expected to have his supporters as he chases his first victory since last year’s success.

The eight-year-old has registered some good efforts in defeat since, including when third of six over 2400m in a Benchmark 100 handicap at Sandown at the start of February.

This son of Victoire Pisa registered two fifth-place finishes subsequently and arrives here on the back of a length second in the 2150m Terang Cup held last month. 

A wide barrier is far from ideal in this event however and Shane Jackson’s representative looks to have enough on his plate this time around.

The Ciaron Maher-trained import ZIRYAB takes the eye here, having registered three wins from six starts this prep.

This gelding completed a double when registering a win in a 1600m Benchmark 74 handicap at Mornington in January.

While beaten on his next three starts, the pick registered good efforts on each occasion, including when beaten just over a length in a 2040m Benchmark 100 handicap at Moonee Valley.

That effort came on the son of Kingman’s penultimate outing and he returned to winning ways when stepped up to 2150m for the previously mentioned Terang Cup last month.

Teo Nugent, on board last time out, is again set to ride here and while he raced on a sound surface that day the gelding has won on a wet track in the past. 

Ziryab boasts a decent barrier in eight here and he is taken to register back-to-back wins for the second time this prep.  

Front to score at Wyong

A heavy 9 track is expected at Wyong with the sixth race of the day an 1100m Benchmark 64 handicap.

Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald’s Don’t Forget Jack is expected to feature prominently in the betting having shown a liking for wet surfaces in the past.

While untested in race conditions on heavy going, he won soft tracks on his first two starts, including by three lengths over 1200m at Doomben in May last year.

The son of Headwater disappointed in both starts last prep however, including when a well beaten last of six in the Listed Brian Crowley Stakes over 1200m at Randwick in October. 

Fellow three-year-old UP THE FRONT is the selection here however, having registered a solid effort in finishing fifth on his return to action at Wyong.

The colt was beaten just under three lengths when contesting a 1000m Benchmark 68 handicap on that occasion and he is expected to have improved for that effort.

Trained by Jake Ryan, Up The Front won his first two starts last prep, including when successful by just under half-a-length in a 1000m Benchmark 66 handicap at Goulburn second up.

An inside barrier is a big positive over this distance and Blake Ryan’s mount looks up to registering a win jumping from barrier two. 

Show to score at Pinjarra

In Western Australia, they are set to race on the Scarpside course at Pinjarra with SIDE SHOW taken to register a win in the finale, a 1500m Class 3 handicap. 

The four-year-old is the winner of two of his last four starts, including by a narrow margin in a 1720m Benchmark 52+ handicap at Narrogin on his penultimate start.

Side Show went on to finish two-lengths second in a similar race to this held over 1600m on the main track here six days later.

Trainer Dylan Bairstow’s booking of William Pike for the first time this prep takes the eye, with the good 4 surface expected here in the pick’s favourite. 

The son of Trapeze Artist boasts a good barrier five from the rail here and he is taken to register the fourth win of his career.