Australian Racing: Vintage the Choice at Hawkesbury

There are three meetings scheduled to take place on Wednesday with Hawkesbury, Mackay and Bendigo all set to race.

Race 6 Hawkesbury

Vintage Choice @ 6.50

Race 7 Mackay

Imagine That @ 3.80

Race 6 Bendigo

Ti Tree Lad @ 2.60

Vintage Choice for Hawkesbury glory

A seven-race card is scheduled at Hawkesbury with the penultimate race of the day a 1300m Benchmark 68 handicap.

The Richard & Will Freedman-trained Starboard is the winner of two of his four previous starts and he is expected to jump as favourite.

This four-year-old broke through for his first win when successful over 1200m in a Bathurst maiden in September 2023 when making the second start of his career.

A good third over the same distance when contesting a Newcastle Class 1 handicap followed with the gelding absent for the whole of 2024.

The son of Astern belied his lengthy absence to get home by a narrow margin when resuming with a narrow win in a Benchmark 64 handicap over 1300m at Hawkesbury last month.

However, the gelding has yet to race on a wet track and, while unexposed jumping from barrier 12, he looks opposable with VINTAGE CHOICE preferred on this occasion.

The Irish-bred gelding did most of his racing at metro level last prep, including when beaten three-and-a-half-lengths into seventh over 1400m at Randwick in September.

Vintage Choice jumped form barrier nine when contesting a 12-runner Benchmark 72 handicap that day and he was spelled subsequently.

The son of Lope de Vega delivered a good effort when placing second, beaten just over two-and-a-half-lengths over 1200m at Warwick Farm when resuming earlier this month.

This six-year-old raced on the pace when competing at Benchmark 72 level that day and the drop in grade is a positive here.

While barrier 13 isn’t ideal for Joseph Ible’s representative, he has underfoot conditions to suit and is taken to record the third win of his career.

Imagine That for Mackay success

Seven races have been programmed at Mackay with the finale a 1200m Benchmark 60 handicap expected to take place on a soft 7 track.

Tahlia Fenlon’s mount Aidenabet is sure to have his supporters, having finished in the first four in all four starts since winning by a length here in January.

The seven-year-old contested a Benchmark 65 handicap on a wet track that day and he gets a drop in grade here, having finished fourth in a similar race to this at Townsville last week.

Trained by Joshua Manzelmann, the gelding was beaten less than two lengths that day and he is chasing his seventh career win.

Jason Devine saddles IMAGINE THAT here and she is preferred, having registered wins in three of her last four starts.

Those wins include a success by just under half-a-length in a Benchmark 0-55 handicap at this track three starts back.

The daughter of Dream Ahead raced over 1300m on a wet track that day and, having suffered a defeat next time, she returned to winning ways at Thangool last month.

Imagine That came home five-and-a-half-lengths clear of her eight rivals when contesting a 1200m Benchmark 60 handicap at Thangool and she has apprentice Jamiee-Lee Devine up once more.

Barrier three is a positive in this contest, with the mare looking capable of continuing her good run of form by registering her eighth win in 31 career starts.

Ti Tree Lad to triumph at Bendigo

A good 4 track is expected at Bendigo with the sixth race a 1300m Benchmark 64 handicap.

Mitchell Freedman’s TI TREE LAD takes the eye here, having registered placed efforts in all three starts this prep.

The pick placed third when beaten two-and-a-half-lengths when jumping from a wide barrier over this course and distance when contesting a similar race to this here on his penultimate start.

While disappointing that the gelding was beaten having jumped as a $2.05 favourite at Terang next time, he delivered a solid effort in finishing a close second over 1200m.

The son of Thronum boasts an inside alley here and, with John Allen up, looks capable of returning to winning ways.