By Neil Evans
She’s the pride of a country town better known for its livestock and sheep shearing, but a tough and still lightly-raced mare is primed to fleece her opposition in Monday’s feature sprint at Orange.
Outback Angel heads into a Benchmark 66 handicap over 1000m to close the meeting, hunting a fourth career win from just 10 starts.
Racing returns to Orange on Monday.Credit: Steven Siewert
And her little-known trainer and owner Allan McRae served up a nice pointer when he scratched the mare from a very winnable race at Albury on Saturday to save her for this.
A daughter of renowned sprint sire Super One, Outback Angel hasn’t raced since a dominant BM 58 win at Albury by nearly four lengths back on November 8.
Since then, she’s been kept ticking over back on the local property, surrounded by the knowledge she’s nearly always at her best when on the fresher side.
Outback Angel, who rarely trials, put the writing on the wall when she resumed off a 23-week break with a strong closing run at Albury.
Ridden much closer next start over the flying 900m there, she put her rivals to the sword with ease, and now steps back up in grade, again with comeback jockey John Kissick in the saddle.
And Outback Angel could well be aimed at a Highway short course in Sydney if she wins again in her first outing at Orange.
In an open contest, she opened around $3.80 in early betting well clear of both Parkes-based Obsessive Nature and Cowra mare Violet And Blue on the $7.00 line.
Naturally, Outback Angel is the headline horse in a small team from the McRae yard at Yass.
In fact, she is his only winner since early autumn, although it’s not for the want of travelling or trying, with the stable saddling up runners at 14 different NSW venues across the past six months.
But the mare will have a travelling companion to the Central West, with three-year-old long shot Born To Run making his debut in a Maiden Hcp over 1000m
It’s another important stepping stone for rejuvenated Orange as well, with the club scheduled to host the regional Country Championship Qualifier on February 28.
Mogo Magic poised for autumn return
A ligament strain cost talented sprinter Mogo Magic his chance of a Kosciuszko berth in the spring but trainer Scott Collings says he’ll be back in business for an autumn campaign. The five-year-old, narrowly beaten by Saturday’s Razor Sharp winner Jedibeel back in June, will be aimed at graduating to stakes company when he returns. Collings, who trained the weekend’s Highway winner Ticklebelly at Randwick, said a late February or early March comeback is on the cards for the winner of five of his nine starts. “He had a little strain but nothing too bad so he had three months off but he’s on track for a good preparation,” he said.
Gai’s Slipper winner back in business
Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot will be the headliner at today’s Hawkesbury barrier trials. It’ll be the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained filly’s first appearance since running third in the group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes back on November 2. She’s due to contest an 800m trial scheduled for just after 10am. Tim Clark rides the three-year-old who mixed it with the best sprinters in the land when she finished fourth in the Everest two months ago. The barrier trial session will also feature beaten ATC Cup favourite Townsend who will line up alongside Amelia’s Jewel’s half-brother Bosustow in a 1000m trial earlier in the morning.
Supplied by Racing NSW
