With six meetings set to take place on Friday including two provincial meets at Goulburn and Rockhampton the final day before the weekend's action provides plenty of opportunity to back winners.
Take Rockierro to break maiden
Chris Waller and jockey Jason Collett team up with Adorable Miss in the third at Goulburn, a 1600m maiden event set to take place on a track rated a heavy 10. The four-year-old has shown a liking forw wet tracks in the past including when placing third on a heavy 8 surface at Newcastle at the enf o May. Put a subsequent disappointment behind her upped to 1600m for this time to finish runner-up at the same venue and while she is clearly a talented individual she may have to settle for minor honours once more.
Preference on this occasion is for the Gai Waterhouse & Aidrian Bot-trained Rockierro who debuted with a down the field finish at big odds in a 1000m event at Hawkesbury last August. Benefited from the time off to deliver a much improved effort when beaten half-a-length into second over 1400m at Kembla Grange last month and while the gelding is unproven on ground softer than a good 4 he remains open to improvement and with the extra distance here likely to suit he can get off the mark at the third attempt.
Blaze to defy top weight
Argyle Pink looks likely to jump as favourite in the finale at Rockhampton. The three-year-old showed ability in four starts last spell and got off the mark at the fifth attempt when winning by half-a-length in a maiden over 1200m at Doomben last month when racing first up.
Showed good form when runner-up on a soft 5 in maiden company at Doomben in January and that effort offers hope that the grey filly will handle the heavy 10 conditions forecast.
Barney’s Blaze has already shown a liking for wet tracks including when winning a 1006m maiden at Sale when racing first up last December. Has shown some solid form since including when winning a Class 1 over 1100m on a soft 5 track at Rockhampton on his penultimate start. Shoulders top weight here but looks up to going one better than when runner-up in a Class 4 over 1200m at Townsville last month with Adrian Layt up for the first time.
Korobeiniki for Sale triumph
In what looks to be a highly competitive Benchmark 58 contest over 1746m, the seventh race on the Sale can go the way of the Luke Nolen-ridden Korobeiniki. The gelding has demonstrated good form of late including when runner-up over ten metres short of this distance in a Benchmark 64 contest on a heavy 9 track here last month.
Freshened up since that effort the filly has placed on three of her six starts at this venue and tackling an easier contest here and with both Bucks and Wardy Boy likely to want to go forward from the gate the race could well be set up for a closer like Korobeiniki who can provide trainer Nick Hartnett with a winner.
