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Australian Racing: Cat to take the cream at Hawkesbury

3 minute read

There are seven meetings scheduled to take place on Sunday, including at Hawkesbury, where an eight-race card is scheduled.

Picture: Bet365

They also race at Carnarvon, Grafton, Hobart, Pakenham, Port Augusta and Sunshine Coast.

Race 6 Hawkesbury

The Extreme Cat @ 3.60

Race 7 Grafton

Office Jim @ 5.00

Race 5 Sunshine Coast

Everstar @ 7.00

 Cat to salute at Hawkesbury 

The sixth race on the Hawkesbury card is a 1300m Benchmark 64 handicap set to take place on a good 4 track.

The three-year-old Carpaccio is likely to have his supporters, with improvement expected having made just three starts last prep.

The first of those saw the gelding get home by a narrow margin when taking out a 1200m maiden at Gosford on debut and he followed that up with a second at Wyong.

That Wyong effort came in a 1350m Benchmark 64 handicap with the gelding having been spelled following a sixth of seven over 1400m at Warwick Farm in February.

THE EXTREME CAT drops down from metro-level racing here, however, and he is preferred in this contest.

The four-year-old delivered a good two length second in a 1200 Benchmark 72 handicap at Warwick Farm in February.

The 3.60 pick raced on a soft 6 track that day and followed it up with a good fifth over 1100m in a Benchmark 72 handicap at Warwick Farm the following month.

Nathan Doyle's gelding steps up in distance here, having been beaten four lengths in a 1200m Benchmark 72 handicap at Randwick when last in action on 6th July.

Keagan Latham's mount has an inside barrier here and the return to a sound surface is no issue, having raced on a heavy 8 track in both starts this prep.

 Jim liked for Maclean Cup glory 

The Maclean Cup is the highlight on the Grafton card, with the 1400m handicap coming up as the penultimate race on an eight-race program.

Darren Graham is set to saddle Bean Foggy here with the gelding likely to have his supporters having performed well at metro level earlier this year.

The five-year-old was a winner at Eagle Farm in early April and has placed at the same venue and Murwillumbah subsequently.

The son of Spill The Beans was freshened prior to finishing sixth of seven in a 1400m Class 6 at Eagle Farm earlier this month and he rates highly in this field.

A six-time winner this season, OFFICE JIM is the selection here, however, with the seven-year-old having completed a hat-trick when winning at Goondiwindi in April.

Pat Webster's representative was last seen in action finishing fifth, beaten just under two-and-a-half-lengths at Eagle Farm at the end of last month.

The 5.00 selection raced over 1200m on a good 4 track that day and the extra distance here is no issue, having won over this trip at Ballina earlier this season.

Leslie Tilley, on board for the gelding's last two starts is again set to ride and, jumping from an inside alley, the pick looks capable of registering a victory here.

 Star to shine at Sunshine Coat 

The fifth race at Sunshine Coast is a 1300m maiden with EVERSTAR taken to get off the mark at the third attempt.

Paula Barron's gelding lost out by a narrow margin when runner-up in his sole barrier trial at Gold Coast in May.

The youngster came home seven lengths behind the winner when fourth of five in an 1110m maiden at Doomben on debut subsequently.

The 7.00 pick raced on a good 4 track that day and showed marked improvement stepped up to 1200m and switched to a soft 5 surface at the same venue subsequently.

The son of Epaulette was beaten just over one-and-a-half-lengths into third in an 11-runner Doomben maiden that day.

The drop to provincial level racing is a positive, with Robbie Dolan's mount capable of overcoming barrier ten.