There’s Group 1 action from South Australia with Morphettville’s Goodwood the feature race on a busy day of racing action.
Race 8 Morphettville
Benedetta @ 4.60
Race 8 NewcastleIknowastar @ 5.50
Race 4 Sunshine CoastPerspiration @ 3.50
Benedetta for Group 1 glory
The Goodwood is a 1200m Group 1 contest expected to take place on a good 4 track with Amelia's Jewel heading the field.
The filly won at this level when taking out the 1800m Northerly Stakes at Ascot in December 2022.
The Western Australian raider has won twice in Group 2 company in Melbourne since including when taking the 1600m Stocks Stakes at Moonee Valley in September.
The four-year-old has placed twice in sprint contests at Ascot this prep, including when beaten a length when runner-up in The Kia Quokka over this distance last month.
While Simon Miller's filly rates highly in this field, she has a wide barrier here and BENEDETTA is preferred for Jason Warren.
The filly registered two good Group 1 handicap fourths in the Oakleigh Plate and Newmarket earlier this year, being beaten less than two lengths on each occasion.
The daughter of Hellbent dropped in grade when crossing the border to take out the Group 3 R N Irwin Stakes over 1100m here on 13th April.
While unable to follow up in the Group 1 Robert Sangster over this track and trip two weeks later, she again performed well in placing third.
The selection has a good barrier here and, with Jamie Kah a positive jockey booking, the pick looks capable of registering her first win at this level.
Star to shine at Newcastle
Track conditions have seen the Gosford card moved to Newcastle, with the feature race of the day the $500,000 The Coast set to take place over 1600m.
Kris Lees saddles Tavi Team here with the gelding having shown a liking for this venue in the past.
The four-year-old's previous victories here include a four-length success in a 1400m Class 5 set weights contest held on a good 4 track here at the start of March.
The softer going here is no issue for the likely favourite, having won on wet tracks in the past including when winning the Mudgee Cup on a soft 7 in December.
The gelding arrives here on the back of a fifth in the Polytrack Provincial-Midway Championships Final over 1400m at Randwick on 13th April.
Trained by Bjorn Baker, IKNOWASTAR is preferred in this contest, having delivered a couple of big efforts at Rosehill this prep.
The first of those saw him beaten a length into second when contesting a Benchmark 88 handicap over 1400m on a good 4 track at the end of March.
Iknowastar again encountered a good 4 surface when filling the same position in a 1500m Benchmark 100 handicap last month.
While unproven on a soft 7 track, the gelding has performed well on soft surfaces in the past with Rachel King's mount boasting a good barrier here.
Perspiration to take Classic
The fourth race at Sunshine Coast is an interesting two-year-old Group 3 contest.
A big field is set to line up for the 1200m Ken Russell Memorial Classic, with Ciaron Maher's PERSPIRATION taking the eye here.
The colt showed good form in his first two starts, placing second on each occasion, including when debuting with a second at Randwick Kensington in March.
The pick raced over 1000m when beaten three lengths that day and he filled the same position when runner-up over 1200m at Caulfield subsequently.
The son of Too Darn Hot broke his maiden in impressive fashion, when saluting by two-and-a-half-lengths in a 1200m set weights contest at Mornington on 20th April.
The booking of Mark Zahra takes the eye here and he looks up to steering the selection to victory.
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