Australian Racing: Walk Of Fame can star at Geelong

There are six meetings set to take place on Wednesday, including at Doomben in Brisbane and we have three selections for readers.

Race 7 Doomben

Midnight In Tokyo @ 2.60

Race 5 Newcastle

War Ribbon @ 3.60

Race 7 Geelong

Walk Of Fame @ 4.00

Midnight for Listed success

The Listed Recognition Stakes over 1350m comes up as the seventh race at Doomben.

This meeting, which has been transferred from Saturday, is set to take place on a soft 6 surface with Navyonthehighway expected to feature towards the head of the betting.

The four-year-old won her first two starts this prep, including when taking out a 1110m contest held on a good 3 track early last month.

Navyonthehighway duly followed up when contesting a Class 3 plate contest over this course and distance on similar going three weeks later.

A trip to Sydney followed with Chris & Corey Munce’s representative placing fourth despite jumping at $26 for the Group 2 Hot Danish Stakes over 1400m at Rosehill.

A wide alley is a negative here, with the filly having raced prominently or on the speed in all six previous starts.

Main market rival MIDNIGHT IN TOKYO is preferred on this occasion, having delivered a highly-promising effort when third at this level here earlier this month.

Midnight In Tokyo was beaten less than half-a-length when contesting the U&U Recruitment Keith Noud Quality, a Listed contest over 1200m held on a good 4 track.

The mare has gone well on wet tracks in the past, including when successful over this track and trip on a soft 65 surface at the end of December.

Trained by Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald, Midnight In Tokyo boasts a decent barrier in seven and she is expected to be ridden cold or from the rear of mid-division.

Bailey Wheeler gets on well with the mare and the pair look up to registering their third win in six starts together.

Ribbon to complete double

The fifth race at Newcastle is a 2300m Benchmark 68 handicap set to take place on a good 4 track.

Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald’s team are set to saddle likely favourite Hiawatha in this contest.

The five-year-old returned from a spell with a two length second in a 2000m Class 1 set weights contest at Kembla Grange just over a month ago.

Hiawatha delivered a respectable effort, stepping up to 2400m for a Benchmark 78 handicap held on a good 4 track when racing at Rosehill subsequently.

The son of Camelot, formerly trained in Ireland, wears blinkers for the first time here and while he tackles an easier contest than at Rosehill he looks opposable here.

David Payne saddles main market rival WAR RIBBON, with the improving three-year-old selected to record his second course win.

The gelding finished in the first three in each of his first three starts this prep, including when third on a good 4 track in a Hawkesbury maiden over 1600m when racing first up this prep.

War Ribbon has made just five previous starts and he broke through for his first win when stepped up to 2260m for a Class 1 set weights contest here last month.

The youngster came home nearly four lengths clear of his rivals when racing on a soft 6 track that day and any softening of the going would be in his favour.

This son of Calyx remains open to improvement and having been freshened since that course success War Ribbon is taken to complete a double.

Fame for Geelong victory

The penultimate contest at Geelong is a 1300m Benchmark 64 handicap.

A good 4 surface is expected with WALK OF FAME taking the eye with Blake Shinn set to ride.

Shinn was on board when the pick finished a close second in a similar race to this held over 1400m last month.

The New Zealand-bred mare was recording her second top-three finish in her last three starts, having finished runner-up on the Hillside track at Sandown in early September.

While both of those efforts came on a sound surface, Walk Of Fame is a versatile type with regard to underfoot conditions and any softening of the going would be no issue.

Barrier 13 isn’t ideal here, however, Danny O’Brien’s representative has gone well from a wide alley in the past and looks up to registering her second win at this venue.