‘Baroness’ hoping for winning start to big fortnight on the track

Eleven days out from her own celebratory race day in Canberra, the “Baroness” of country racing will cross the close border hunting a handy payday at Monday’s feature Queanbeyan meeting.

Barbara Joseph, the one-time “Baroness of Bombala” now more known as the “Grand Dame of Thoroughbred Park”, has targeted this moderate meeting as an ideal starting point for a few of her promising charges.

Along with family training colleagues Paul and Matt Jones, the stable will be especially excited to return capable four-year-old Put To Shame in a competitive Benchmark 58 Hcp over 1460m for the fillies and mares.

Despite not having started since failing at this track in early March, and without publicly trialling, punters can rest easy knowing this mare has been well-prepared to run out a searching distance fresh.

The daughter of 2013 Cox Plate winner Shamus Award came off a two-month break at the Sapphire Coast in late January to be beaten under a length over a mile.

And with in-form jockey Quade Krogh keeping the ride on a suitably improving and drying surface, Put To Shame is out to lay down the first marker for a spring prep that could take her all the way to the Big Smoke.

At longer odds, the Joseph-Jones stable also has six-year-old In My Wallet in the same race, although she would have to improve sharply on her recent form.

Earlier in the meeting, the “Baroness” and Jones duo debut The Factor four-year-old Louie’s Legacy at big odds in a Maiden Hcp before – among others – the team closes the card with lightly raced three-year-old Belleistic Kids tackling a handy Benchmark 58 Hcp (1460m) for the boys.