Australian Racing: Warwick Farm contest no sweat for Perspiration

There are a number of meetings scheduled for Wednesday including metro fixtures at Warwick Farm, Doomben and Ascot.

Race 7 Warwick Farm

Perspiration @ 5.00

Race 3 Doomben

Godzilla @ 2.40

Race 4 Ascot

Smart Energy @ SP

Perspiration to return with win

The penultimate race on Warwick Farm’s eight-race card is a 1000m Benchmark 78 handicap expected to take place on a heavy 9 track.

Peter Snowden-trained Zealously is expected to jump as favourite having won three of his four starts last prep.

The three-year-old completed a hat-trick when coming home over a length clear of his rivals in a Benchmark 72 handicap over this distance at Canterbury in December.

This son of Harry Angel was spelled following a good fourth-place finish when jumping at big odds for the valuable 1100m Magic Millions Sunlight Plate at Sunshine Coast in early January.

Benjamin Osmond’s mount prepped for this event with a barrier trial triumph at Randwick recently and rates highly in this field.

Ciaron Maher’s PERSPIRATION is preferred in this event having competed successfully at a higher level earlier this season.

While the pick was beaten over six lengths in the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes over 1100m at Rosehill, he broke through for his second career win at the same venue the following month.

Racing over the same distance that day, the Too Darn Hot colt got home by a narrow margin when contesting a five-runner renewal of the Heritage Stakes.

Perspiration raced on a soft 6 track that day and he isn’t expected to have any issues on his first start on a heavy surface.

Zac Lloyd, on board in the Heritage, retains the ride here and his mount looks capable of resuming with a win.

Godzilla to salute at Doomben

A soft 7 track is expected at Doomben with the third race a 1650m Benchmark 65 handicap.

Express Payment is expected to have his supporters, having registered some good efforts this prep, including when winning at Sunshine Coast in January.

The four-year-old won over 1600m when contesting a Benchmark 62 handicap held on a soft 6 track that day and he followed up with a two-length fifth in a similar race to this here 12 days later.

While the gelding has been unable to score in two subsequent starts, he has been beaten one-and-a-half-lengths or less on each occasion, including when sixth of eight at Sunshine Coast last time.

Noel Callow rides for the first time and Robert Heathcote’s representative holds obvious claims.

The Tony Gollan-trained GODZILLA is the pick here however, having placed in the top three in each of his last four starts.

The first of those efforts saw him place third in a 1630m Restricted 65 handicap held on a good 4 track here in January.

This gelding has since gone on to prove that he handles softer underfoot conditions, including when runner-up over 1700m in an Ipswich Benchmark 65 handicap last month.

Godzilla started an odds-on favourite for that contest, having delivered a length third in a Class 3 1600m handicap at Eagle Farm on his previous outing.

Ryan Maloney’s mount has an inside barrier here and is expected to race close to the speed in this contest.

Energy to record Ascot victory

The fourth race at Ascot is an interesting Class 1 handicap that forms part of the National Apprentice Racing Series.

Exosphere gelding SMART ENERGY performed well when placing third in a 1300m maiden at Pinjarra when returning from a spell early last month.

Smart Energy was beaten just over one-and-a-half-lengths when racing over 1300m that day and broke through for his first win when stepped up to 1500m at the same venue subsequently.

The three-year-old jumped as a short-priced favourite when successful by over three lengths that day, with both of those efforts coming on the good 4 going expected here.

Simon Miller’s representative races on his home track here and looks up to registering a win on his first start against previous winners.