Australian Racing: Prince to blaze home at Tamworth

There are just two meetings set to take place on Monday, with both Tamworth and Bairnsdale due to stage eight-race cards.

Race 5 Tamworth

Blazed Prince @ 4.00

Race 6 Bairnsdale

Emerald Jack @ 9.00

Race 8 Bairnsdale

Majority Interest @ 3.60

Prince to rule at Tamworth

The fifth race on the Tamworth card is a 1600m set weights Class 1 contest set to take place on a soft 5 track.

Gary Lunn’s Margaret’s Missile has been in good form since being freshened prior to finishing third over 1500m in a Muswellbrook maiden in August.

A second over 1400m at Mudgee followed prior to the mare record her first win when taking out a 1600m Class 1 event at Narromine last month.

The five-year-old finished one-and-a-half-lengths third when contesting a similar event at Dubbo subsequently and she rates highly under regular pilot Mikayla Weird.

BLAZED PRINCE is preferred on this occasion, however, having made all six starts this prep here at his home track.

Those six starts include three placed efforts on wet tracks prior to breaking her maiden over 1400m on a soft 5 here at the end of August.

The gelding recorded a victory by just under a length on that occasion and was freshened prior to finishing fourth in a 1400m Class 1 here at the end of last month.

The 4.00 pick raced on a good 4 track for the first time since January that day. while that form has been boosted by subsequent victories for the 10th and 11th home.

An inside barrier is a positive for Craig Clegg’s gelding, who is selected to record a win on his first start at this distance.

Jack goes for Barinsdale glory

The sixth at Bairnsdale is a 1200m Benchmark 58 handicap, with Themoonsaballoon expected to have his supporters on just his seventh career start.

The seven-year-old only made his debut in August last year and, while he failed to shine that day, he has finished in the first three in all five subsequent starts.

The gelding broke through for his first win when successful on a soft 7 surface when contesting a 1200m maiden at Moe in June.

Angus Townley’s representative resumed with a good third in a 1111m Benchmark 58 handicap at Moe at the end of last month.

A wide alley is enough to temper enthusiasm however, with EMERALD JACK preferred dropping back in distance.

The six-year-old broke his maiden by a narrow margin when contesting a 1600m event on a good 4 track at Pakenham in November 2022.

While the 9.00 selection failed to beat a rival home at Sandown next time that did come in a metro Class 1 handicap.

Trained by David & Coral Feek, the pick returned from over a year off the track with a last of fourteen in a heat of the Country Mile Series at Pakenham at the start of March.

The gelding has trialled well ahead of his seasonal reappearance and jumping from a good barrier in seven and with the tongue tie returning he is selected to record a win.

Majority to claim Bairnsdale finale

The concluding race at Bairnsdale is a 2200m Benchmark 58 handicap, with MAJORITY INTEREST the selection to record the second win of his career.

The step up in distance appears to have suited in recent starts, with the gelding finishing three-and-a-half-lengths second over this track and trip on his penultimate outing.

The 3.60 selection contested a Restricted 58 handicap held on a good 4 track on that occasion and he encountered similar underfoot conditions at Murtoa last time.

That Murtoa effort came over 2050m, with the son of Dundeel beaten less than half-a-length when placing second in an 11-runner contest.

Carleen Hefel is set to ride here and, jumping from barrier six, her mount looks up to delivering a victory.