The Wine Country Race Club meeting on Tuesday, originally scheduled for the Beaumont track will be held on the course proper. The Arrowfield training partnership of Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich, fresh from a brilliant run by their undefeated youngster Perennial on the track on Saturday return to the big track with a couple of well-bred gallopers.
Know Thyself, a The Autumn Sun three-year-old is on debut in the New Era Technology Country Boosted Maiden Handicap (1200m) with Aaron Bullock in the saddle. He won trials at Muswellbrook and Scone on August 17 and September 6. Know Thyself has only had the one trial at Muswellbrook this preparation and that was on January 10. He travelled the 900m under a hold and went over the line near the tail of the field – a very quiet trial. The gelding has drawn well, and he will be well fancied first up.
The Arrowfield stables other starter, My Riviera, has had two starts for a win and a close second. The four-year-old daughter of Real Impact was a big drifter in betting at Tamworth on debut on Christmas Eve. She raced behind the leaders and with clear running in the straight finished strongly to win by a nose. Last start at Muswellbrook My Riviera travelled in second place before sprinting to a three-length lead halfway down the straight. The smart Zippo Idea ran her down on the post. The mare has drawn wide but has the speed to take up a forward position. Bullock has the mount and he is leading the New South Wales Jockey’s Premiership with 74 winners for the season, five ahead of Jason Collett.
Muswellbrook trained Ollie’s Secret can atone for a last start Randwick failure when he runs in the 1400m Lees Racing Benchmark 66 Handicap. Jan Bowen’s four-year-old had no luck first up at Randwick on January 27 being wide no cover all the trip from a wide barrier. In July Ollie’s Secret was successful in a Class 1 on this track then finished a close fourth at Canterbury. Before heading to the paddock, the gelding was beaten .70 of a length in a Rosehill Highway in September. The rails barrier is gold and Jeff Penza, riding winners again after a long break through injury has the mount.
Penza also rides the Todd Howlett trained Canny Prospect, one of the chances in the Horsepower Feeds & Supplements CG&E Benchmark 58 Handicap (1200m). The four-year-old broke through for his first win at Dubbo on January 15 when he won a maiden by 4.37 lengths. He was placed in his only three other starts since a spell.
Kris Lees has two starters in the Coastline Pools & Spas Maiden Plate (1400m) and both of them should run well. Dylan Gibbons will steer Perri Lass which finished down the track first up at Scone on January 21 but had no luck. She was a clear last to leave the barriers and settled well back. Perri Lass had a wall of horses in front of her at the business end and simply had no clear run. Stablemate Divine Note was in the same Scone race, and he sprouted wings from near last in the last 200 metres to finish ahead of Perri Lass.