By Nick Berney
Lightly raced import Maximum Dividend will seek to go back-to-back at Canterbury on Wednesday after an ultra-impressive first-up win at Wyong.
The four-year-old will line up in the Casino Prince @ Vinery Stud Handicap over 1900m, and his dominant win suggests he can make the step to city grade.
Trainer John O’Shea.Credit: Getty
Maximum Dividend was well-ridden last start and showed a sharp turn of foot and pulled away from his rivals with style. He went through the line full of energy and ran fast closing splits.
The John O’Shea & Tom Charlton-trained runner has now acclimatised in his second Australian preparation. He has improved action, and the rise to 1900m is ideal.
Five-year-old gelding Tajanis is rock-hard fit and can bounce back here down in grade.
He looms as a main danger, and he has had excuses in his past two outings, including being unsuited to the sit/sprint race shape in his last start at Kensington.
Although well beaten, he gets in well at the weights in this assignment after the claim for apprentice Ben Osmond and his starting price must be respected.
The Kia Ora Prague Maiden Plate (1200m) presents as one of the more intriguing races on the program with multiple chances, but three-year-old filly Bella Corazon represents value.
She resumes from a 141-day spell and looks to have returned well after two recent sharp trials.
Moreover, she has gone through the line full of energy and her latest heat at Randwick was run in slick time.
First-up last campaign, her effort had merit in a high-rating race, and the margins throughout confirmed its quality.
She was run to suit but ran on well, hitting the line hard. Punter’s Intelligence recorded that she ran the meeting’s seventh-fastest final 600m split in 35.83.
Forgive her two runs before spelling last preparation when striking heavy ground, and the anticipated genuine tempo will suit her pattern.
Nathan Doyle is a trainer to watch. He has trained 19 winners out of his past 100 runners and has a profit on turnover of 14.4 per cent. He saddles up firm favourite Private Harry in race six.
Supplied by Racing NSW
