Australian Racing: Wagga Riverside the focus for Christmas Eve

The sole meeting scheduled for Christmas Eve is at Wagga Riverside with eight races set to take place on a good 4 track.

Race 3 Wagga Riverside

Urafiki @ 4.80

Race 4 Wagga Riverside

Tap ‘N’ Run @ 4.00

Race 6 Wagga Riverside

Associate @ 2.10

Urafiki to return with win

The third race of the day is a 1200m Benchmark 58 handicap contest, with Master Of Disguise expected to jump as favourite.

This three-year-old raced twice on wet tracks at Goulburn in her first prep, including when fourth over 900m on debut.

Master Of Disguise was spelled following a sixth of seven over 1000m at the same venue 18 days later and she has shown improved form in two starts this time around.

Danielle Seib’s representative placed second in a small field 1000m maiden at Canberra first up prior to delivering an impressive five-length victory over 1175m at Albury earlier this month.

The daughter of Xtravagant raced from the front at Albury and she may find such tactics difficult jumping from barrier 13.

Stablemate URAFIKI is preferred on this occasion, having broken through for her first win when taking out a 1200m maiden at Moruya on her penultimate start.

The filly tracked the speed on that occasion, having jumped at big odds when fourth of six in a similar contest at Wyong prior to that.

Urafiki went on to deliver a good effort in finishing a length third in a 1300m Benchmark 60 handicap at Canberra two weeks later.

The four-year-old raced on a heavy 8 track at Canberra and with that in mind any softening of the going would be no issue.

Urafiki hasn’t been seen in race action since that Canberra effort in October and a down the field effort in a recent Rosehill trial should have put her spot on for this contest.

Tap to register success

The fourth race of the day is a 1200m Benchmark 82 handicap event with the scratching of Solvere leaving a field of eight to go to post.

This field includes Lang Park, who recorded a victory in a Benchmark 64 handicap over 1300m at Sandown in January of this year.

However, the gelding has been unable to score since registering just two top-three finishes from eight starts last prep.

The five-year-old ended that prep with a couple of down the field efforts in Class 3 handicap events at Randwick and Rosehill.

Trained by Andrew Bourke, he is expected to have improved for his 12 of 13 in a 1200m handicap at Canberra earlier this month when racing on a soft 6 track.

TAP ‘N’ RUN is preferred, despite his first up record not being great, having shown that he can compete at this level when successful over 1400m at Albury in June.

The selection won by a narrow margin when racing on a soft 5 track that day and the switch to good going should prove no issue, having performed well on a sound surface in the past.

This seven-year-old has shown a liking for this track and trip in the past when victorious by nearly two lengths on a good 3 surface here just over 12 months ago.

Ron Stubbs’ representative has a good barrier and jockey Jason Lyon should have options with regard to tactics.

Tap ‘N’ Run has to concede weight to all of his rivals but is taken to do just that as he chases his third win of 2024.

Associate to take Ted Ryder

The Ted Ryder Cup, an open handicap set to be held over 1675m, comes up as the sixth race of the day with ASSOCIATE expected to register a big race win.

The five-year-old placed third in a metro Class 3 set weights event over 1500m at Rosehill at the start of June and went on to acquit himself well when sixth at the same track next time.

Both of those efforts came on heavy 8 tracks, with the gelding going on to prove he can handle quicker conditions in two starts this prep.

The first of those saw him beaten less than two lengths over 1400m in a Class 3 handicap at Kembla Grange just over a month ago.

This gelding went on to lose out by a length when contesting the 1600m Country Motor Company Nowra Showcase Cup held over 1600m on a good 3 track earlier this month.

Pierre Boudvillain is set to ride here and with his mount having finished strongly in each of those two starts, he looks up to returning to winning ways stepping up slightly in distance.