The major focus on any Saturday is metropolitan racing but there's plenty of us out there that don't mind a dabble at the support meetings across the country so here's our best bets.
On Saturday, we’ve come up with a tip at the Newcastle, Murtoa, Toowoomba, Port Macquarie, Gunnedah and Mackay meetings.
NEWCASTLE
ALIED POWER (Race 7 No. 5) Made a solid start to the preparation when getting home encouragingly to run third behind the subsequent midweek city winner Stonebrook at Kembla on September 23. He was slow away on that occasion, settling well back in the field before making ground all the way to the line. Expecting him to be a bit closer on this occasion, he’ll strip fitter and the 1.5kg claim for Nick Heyward has him in this race attractively. Gets his chance here.
MURTOA
SASSOON (Race 7 No. 6) The Andrew Payne stable has always had an opinion of Sassoon and they’ve been patient which looks like it’s ready to pay off. They dropped back a grade last start, got onto a dryer track and he put them away in good style over the mile at Ararat. Right at his peak now after three runs back from a spell and improved for the confidence boosting win, if he can slot in or get cover somewhere around midfield he should prove tough to beat. For an extra boost take an all-up or running double with Kiwia in the Cup. He’ll be short but will take the first of many country cups he’ll be winning over the next few months.
TOOWOOMBA
APOLOBOOM (Race 6 No. 2) You won't go broke backing Ben Currie's horses in Toowoomba, given he trained a record number of winners at the track last season. This five-year-old gelding was good at Ballina two starts ago when ran off the track yet still finished second. Then went to Doomben when again had little luck and should have finished much closer. This is a lot weaker race and with the in-form jockey Mark Pegus in the saddle, he should be winning.
PORT MACQUARIE
WALLANGARRA (Race 4 No. 6) Imported galloper that is a maiden but this looks the ideal race for him to get a taste of that winning feeling. The highest rated winner in the race is the Wayne Wilkes-trained Sniponet, and his benchmark rating is only a paltry 54. Wallangarra made his Australian debut in a 1400m Newcastle maiden on September 16 and it was an encouraging third. He settled a long way from the speed and didn’t find clear air until the last 200m, making up plenty of ground in the run to the line. The step up to 1812m will be too his liking, having placed over 2400m during his European career, and if he’s going to be a horse to be taken seriously in the future, he has to be winning this.
GUNNEDAH
COLLINS STREET (Race 5 No. 4) Three solid runs at Tamworth have this Mark Hatch-trained galloper set to strike a blow on Saturday. A consistent performer, Collins Street races best at the mile having finished in the money in five of his eight runs over the trip and his last effort when third in Benchmark 70 company reads well for this. This is an open handicap but many of his better performed opponents are racing well below their best. He gets Greg Ryan in the saddle on Saturday, is drawn to get the right run and will take some beating.
MACKAY
SOUTHERN SPECIAL (Race 1 No. 1) Former Victorian that for all the world looked like he was going to crack his maiden when he made his Queensland debut at Rockhampton last month. Surged to the lead and looked like the winner, only to run out of gas in the last 50 metres and be run down. Will be much fitter for that first-up run and doesn't need to improve much on that performance to be winning pretty easily here.
