Australian Racing: Parker charge to star at Hamilton

There are three meetings set to take place on Monday with Hamilton, Tamworth and Corowa kicking off the new week of racing action.

Race 6 Hamilton

State Of Maine @ 9.00

Race 5 Tamworth

Castlebar Road @ 7.50

Race 6 Corowa

Awesome Lineup @ 4.00

State set to salute at Hamilton

The sixth race on the Hamilton card is a 1400m Benchmark 58 handicap expected to be held on a heavy 8 surface.

Miss Bariloche is expected to have her supporters, having won on the synthetic track at Ballarat last time out.

The mare came home nearly three lengths clear of her rivals when contesting a Benchmark 58 handicap over 1500m that day and she drops in distance here.

Andrew Bobbin’s mare has gone well on wet tracks in the past, including when placed on a heavy 8 track in maiden company at Murtoa in July last year.

However, she looks opposable here, with STATE OF MAINE the selection for the Charlotte Parker stable.

While the mare is without a win since completing a hat-trick in saluting over 1450m at Kyneton in December 2022 she has recorded some good, placed efforts since.

Those include second place finishes at Casterton in her first two starts this prep with both of those races high-weight events.

The six-year-old was beaten one-and-a-half-lengths on a soft 6 track when contesting a Restricted 58 handicap in the second of those Casterton starts.

The 9.00 selection was beaten by the same margin when fourth in a Restricted 58 handicap over the same track and trip on a heavy 8 surface when last in action on 1st September.

An inside barrier is a positive in this event having raced wide and without cover last time and she is taken to return to winning ways under Melissa Julius.

Rouge to complete Tamworth double

A field of 10 are set to go to post for the fifth race at Tamworth, a 1000m Benchmark 82 handicap.

A soft 6 surface is expected with Rhythm Is A Dancer expected to feature prominently in the market on his first start since a an eleventh at Scone in March.

The gelding contested a 1400m Class 5 set weights contest on a soft 6 track that day, having previously finished fourth in a course Class 5 over the same distance.

The six-year-old demonstrated improved form in his second barrier trial this prep when successful over 1100m at Scone earlier this month and rates highly in this field.

The race-fit CASTLEBAR ROAD is preferred here, however, having won three times from five starts at minor venues this prep.

The most recent of those victories saw the gelding get home by a narrow margin when racing on a firm 2 track at Mendooran earlier this month.

The 7.50 selection contested at 1200m Benchmark 66 handicap that day, but the softer conditions here are no issue with him having won twice on wet tracks earlier this prep.

Those wet track triumphs include a success by one-and-a-half-lengths when jumping at $1.90 for an 800m Benchmark 58 handicap held on a heavy 8 surface at Narromine in June.

Brett Robb’s representative has a good barrier in five here and is selected to register a win, with Clayton Gallagher riding the pick for the first time since May last year.

Awesome to triumph at Corowa

The penultimate contest at Corowa is a 1300m Benchmark 58 handicap set to take place on a good 4 surface.

AWESOME LINEUP has delivered a couple of solid efforts this prep, including when resuming with a sixth in an eight-runner 1247m Benchmark 64 handicap at Geelong in July.

The 4.00 pick took a step forward when beaten less than two-and-a-half-lengths into fifth in a 1412m Benchmark 58 handicap at Benalla subsequently.

That Benalla contest came when racing three wide on a good 4 track and Lachlan King is expected to be able to race closer to the ail jumping from barrier two.

The slight drop in distance should prove no issue for the four-year-old and he is taken to register the second win of his career.