3 minute read
If talented filly Leviosa can run up to her last start she will prove hard to hold out in today's Arrowfield Autumn Sprint (race 8) at Muswellbrook.
The filly, prepared at Port Macquarie by Jenny Graham, has built a very honest record in her eight runs to date and looks hard to beat just off the minimum in today's 1000m feature.
The filly won her first three starts with ease, two at home and one at Grafton, by four lengths, 2.5 lengths and 1.8 lengths.
She then headed to town and raced at Rosehill in an Inglis bonus race over 1300m where she sat fifth before working home nicely into third.
After a good spell Leviosa resumed at home with a Benchmark 75 win of a very hot form race with five subsequent winners.
She then raced in non metropolitan winners grade at Gosford and raced on the speed before boxing on well for second.
Two starts back she returned to town over 1300m at Randwick on the Kensington track where for the first time she missed the placings.
She was far from disgraced, though, leading until well into the straight before being run down late, finishing fourth in a strong for race behind Show A Lion Heart.
Last start, stepping up further in grade to the Listed PJ Bell Stakes at Canterbury, she drew the second outside gate in the big field and settled midfield but was caught three and four wide.
She turned four deep facing the breeze but to her credit just kept coming, finishing third but beaten only a neck in a three way photo behind Ever The Same and Aerobatics.
That effort was a clear career best rating and if she can reproduce that today she will prove very hard to beat.
She rises only a half kilo in the weight and has drawn perfectly in barrier five.
The pace should be hot in this 1000m scamper so she will be parked off the speed but on her recent form she should be hard to hold out.
Just a $14,000 Inglis yearling, a win today by the filly can reach $100,000 in prizemoney.
The hardest to beat should be the speedy Stratana, from the Paul Perry yard.
The gelding has a similarly honest record to Leviosa, in that he has missed the placings only once in his career which was in heavy ground at the end of his first campaign.
Aside from that, he has racked up five wins and four minors.
His first two wins came in his first campaign at Newcastle by three lengths then Canterbury by 2.5 lengths.
Last campaign he resumed with a length win at Newcastle before placing at Randwick then winning at Rosehill.
He returned there and won again next start before placing at Rosehill and Warwick Farm at his last two runs.
The latest was in the Razor Sharp Stakes where he raced on the speed and boxed on well for third behind News Alert.
The gelding went for a spell but has trialled well for his return, winning once at home then finishing third behind Welkom Gold in the other.
He looks ready to fire fresh and should take running down.
Exploitable Doubt is resuming without trialling but is proven fresh and is likely to be running on strongly over this journey.
The other obvious inclusion is Might Obvious, who was a strong Hawkesbury winner last start and from an inside draw will be prominent throughout.
