By Neil Evans
A trip away and return to the flying short course are set to pay dividends for a tough Scone filly at today’s Narromine meeting.
And punters have seemingly been given a decisive leg-up from the Scott Singleton stable, with front-running Too Darn Lovely by-passing a home meeting on the same day to zero in on a weaker target in the central west.
Singleton trainer Scott Singleton.Credit: Getty Images
Dropping back from a higher-graded race at Muswellbrook over 1000m three weeks ago when she faded after leading, Too Darn Lovely reloads in a Benchmark 58 Handicap over the 800m scamper course on a tighter and more advantageous track for on-speed sprinters.
The start before in a better BM 58 at Quirindi (1000m), Too Darn Lovely ran a quick time in beating a handy sprint field. She again draws to control the race under regular apprentice Leeshelle Small, and back on her preferred firmer ground, looks set to take her strike rate to five wins from 14 starts.
A speedy daughter of fashionable sire Too Darn Hot, Too Darn Lovely could be aimed at a more challenging provincial sprint, or even a Saturday Highway if she takes care of this moderate field.
While Singleton has accepted for seven runners at the Scone meeting, Thor’s Lightning, second-up in a Maiden Plate over 1300m, is his only other runner at Narromine.
The meeting, though, is set to be dominated by Dubbo stables.
The Clint Lundholm yard, among its better chances, will run exciting debutant filly Miss Rapide in a Maiden Plate over 800m, along with resuming My Boy Scout in a Maiden Handicap (1100m), and promising filly Matilda Of Tuscany shooting for back-to-back wins after a dominant Maiden breakthrough at Warren.
Rival Dubbo trainer Brett Robb has an equally big hand, including progressive three-year-old West Head, also shooting for a second successive win in a Class 1 & Maiden Plate over 1600m, and exciting filly Miss Clamorosa, which thrashed Class 1 opposition by more than five lengths at Warren.
Supplied by Racing NSW
