We head to Rockhampton for Thursday’s feature, the $100,000 XXXX Gold Newmarket Handicap.
A competitive field has been assembled for the Rockhampton feature with a city raider in the form of Lauterbrunnen shaping as hard to beat.
The Robert Heathcote-trained gelding returned from a freshen up with a fast closing second over 1350m behind a rival he faces here in Lucky Tom.
It was an eye catching effort and one which he can build upon second up.
The son of Not A Single Doubt will strip fitter for the outing and appears well suited.
Lauterbrunnen is drawn to receive all of the favours in transit from barrier 2 and Jim Byrne taking the ride is an additional positive.
The five-year-old also meets Lucky Tom 1.5kg better at the weights.
Lucky Tom also shapes as a key chance in this event off his last start win.
The gelding produced substantial improvement on his first up outing and must be a chance of improving further with added fitness third run from a spell.
He will be prominent throughout and take some catching.
Sticking with the class horses at the top of the weights could be advisable and another of these is Choice Bro.
The gelding struggled last start in the P.M’s Cup at the Gold Coast, settling back in the field and staying there.
He has since been freshened and only the start prior to that P.M’s Cup he was a winner of the Weetwood Handicap at Toowoomba.
For those willing to forgive his last start disappointment, there are genuine double figure odds available about the son of Choisir.
Straight Gold showed good improvement on his first up outing when prominent throughout for a second at this course over 1200m a fortnight ago.
This is tougher however that said, the gelding will be fitter again third up and is yet to run out of the money in four starts at this course.
He is another who at double figure odds possesses genuine value appeal.
The Lucky Tom race shapes as a key form event heading into Thursday’s Rockhampton Newmarket with third placegetter of that race in Siegfried shaping as a chance.
The gelding meets both Lucky Tom and Lauterbrunnen on better weight terms and should be peaking fourth run from a spell.
An unbeaten record at this course from two visits also augers well for his chances along with the application of blinkers and an inside barrier.
