By Neil Evans
A sparingly raced five-year-old who is also one of the more underrated country sprinters is set to return with a bang in the feature sprint at Muswellbrook on Monday.
Outback Ringer, a gelded son of Outreach in the Brett Cavanough stable at Scone, resumes in a strong edition of the Benchmark 82 Summer Sizzler over 1000m to close the meeting.
Muswellbrook will host a seven-race card on Monday.Credit: Brendan Esposito
On what is a slowly improving track that could settle around Soft 5, Outback Ringer hasn’t started since early August when finishing a winter prep out of the placings in a feature BM 85 sprint at Dubbo.
Earlier he had begun the campaign with a dominant BM 64 win at home on heavy ground, although subsequent runs didn’t live up to the plans of connections.
Outback Ringer is known for coming to hand in a heartbeat, and despite having no official trials leading up, has reportedly been working well.
Despite opening around $4.60 early favourite, Outback Ringer will have plenty of challengers including six-year-old stablemate Two Ya Got ($6) who is also first-up since spring, without publicly trialling.
Throw in Yukan Rose ($5.50) who is chasing a third win from four starts this prep, provincial-based Akaka Falls, and Standing Bear both around the $7.50 line; and the Sizzler threatens to be a hot formline.
The race could also cap a big day for Scone runners making the short trip down the highway.
Promising filly Kantishna is primed to make it back-to-back wins for the Scott Singleton stable in the Class 1 opener over 900m.
Then the Messara-Gavranich yard saddles up progressive three-year-old Dale as a likely hot favourite in a Maiden Plate over 1450m before smart filly Pensativa tackles a CL1 Hcp (1450m) fourth-up for the Lou Mary stable.
The Cavanough camp is also confident unbeaten mare Chidiac can win again, despite drawing the outside barrier in a BM 58 Hcp over 1280m.
Loughnane wins last Australian race before heading home
Billy Loughnane finished his Australian riding stint on a winning note aboard odds-on favourite Yorkshire at Wyong before rushing off to prepare for his flight home to England. The 18-year-old Irish-born jockey gave the John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained Yorkshire a trouble-free run outside the lead before the four-year-old cruised to a two-length win in the benchmark 78 over 1350m to close Saturday’s inaugural standalone program. Loughnane finished with four wins from 51 rides in his six-week debut in Australia, where he rode mostly for O’Shea and Charlton. He had no time to spare after the last, given he faced a day-long flight home and had rides booked at Lingfield on Monday. Loughnane will chase the all-weather premiership at home. He led the winter title with 20 winners before coming to Australia and is now 16 behind.
Craig Kerry
Wyong delighted with first The Lakes day
Wyong Race Club expects The Lakes day to grow next year after a smooth running of the inaugural standalone program on Saturday. The provincial club catered for a crowd of more than 2000 for the 10-race metropolitan card, which also celebrated 150 years of racing at Wyong. The region copped more than 70mm of rain in the week leading into the meeting but the track, under the care of racecourse manager Phil Robinson, finished the day a Good 4 after starting a Soft 5. Wyong was the last provincial club to gain a standalone meeting. “We were really happy with how everything went,” club sponsorship and communications manager Andrew Hurley said. “A lot of people said they would be back next year, and they would tell their friends about it.”
Craig Kerry
Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au
