There will be Australian interest at Royal Ascot on day one on Tuesday, as Chris Waller has Nature Strip going for glory in the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes.
Closer to home, there's action from New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland on Tuesday and we've got a couple of picks to go well.
Sam's got a chance at Dalby
Race eight on the card at Dalby is an 1100 metre handicap and trainer Jack Brown can have reason to be optimistic that Sam's A Natural will take a part in the finish.
He returned from a spell on the sidelines with a decent fifth place run at Moree 26 days ago despite being an uneasy one in the pre-race market. He made up some good late ground under Emma MacPherson and looked one to take out of the race after being beaten less than a length at the winning line.
Since then, he has trialled and won and he was a winner at this track four starts ago. The likes of Knowitall Jack, Summer Star and Peachies Dream – the latter a beaten favourite at Toowoomba last time – are in good form and rank as dangers but this four-year-old gelding looks sure to build on that first run back and if he does so, he should go close to another Dalby success.
Kayobi ready to break through
Trainer Sam Kavanagh will be heading to Scone for the 1300 metre maiden handicap feeling sure that Kayobi is ready to get on the scoresheet.
The three-year-old gelding has twice gone close in as many runs on the track. At Muswellbrook in September he finished second behind Loversfield in a maiden plate, a good start to his career. We didn't get to see him again until that comeback run at Scone last month, where he once again left with a silver medal. Those runs came on differing ground, good first time and heavy here latest, so he won't have any worries in regards to conditions.
Adding to his appeal, he's gone back to Muswellbrook at the start of June and won a barrier trial. That experience will stand to him and he looks to have been found a really winnable opportunity now.
Twisted Nikkas has run well at Scone before and might rate as the main danger, with Miss Milton a bit more exposed than some of these and likely front-runner Hettinger need to improve to blunt the hopes of Ashley Morgan and Kayobi now.
