By Neil Evans
Five days out from his home Cup and stand-alone carnival, Scone trainer Scott Singleton is eying a potential treble at Monday’s feature Quirindi meeting.
Fresh from five individual winners from their last 20 runners, the Singleton yard is hoping to pick up from where it left off at this track a fortnight ago.
Racing returns to Quirindi on Monday.Credit: Phil Carrick
That day, well-backed Enterprise Lassie led home a strong result in a Benchmark 58 Hcp over the mile, with the stable also recording a luckless and close second placings, and two thirds.
Two of the placed runners from that meeting are on show at Quirindi in very suitable races.
Insightful Award, a talented five-year-old mare by 2013 Cox Plate winner Shaus Award, lines up in a strong BM 66 Hcp over 1200m.
Already with a 25 per cent win rate from 12 starts, Insightful Award was very stiff not to win here a fortnight ago in a weaker BM 58 when she had to weave through traffic before hitting the line late to only miss by a half-length.
Despite stepping up in grade and having drawn the outside barrier, she looks ready to fire on her preferred soft surface, with 2kg-claiming apprentice Leeshelle Small keeping the ride.
Singleton’s best hope is likely to emerge in the opening race, with tough three-year-old Wanavan primed to break through fifth-up in a Maiden Plate over 1000m.
A very honest son of Wandjina, Wanavan was close-up in third place in a deeper race at Scone, and the stable has given him four weeks between runs to offset the 100m drop in trip.
Then two races later, speedster Too Darn Lovely gets her chance to win a fourth race from 12 starts in a BM58 Hcp over 1000m.
A flying three-year-old daughter of speed sire Too Darn Hot, Too Darn Lovely has been run down late by a couple of smart sprinters in her last two starts after showing plenty of natural speed.
Back now in a field with less depth, and on a track drying out all the time, she looks well placed.
Several Scone stables will be using the Quirindi meeting as a platform into the two-day carnival starting on Friday with the Listed Scone Cup meeting before the feature group 3 Dark Jewel Classic and feature Saturday card takes centre stage.
