It’s the biggest weekend of the year for the Scone Racing Club and the action kicks off on Friday with a strong edition of Scone Cup Day!
The rail will remain in the true position around the entire course and at publish, we’re faced with a track rated in the Soft (5) range.
Anselmo will take improvement into his second campaign start and looks ready to win.
The Brett Cavanough-trained gelding has placed in each of his three trips to the races so far, and kept his best work for late when second at Tamworth first-up from a spell.
With even luck, he might not be offered a better opportunity than this.
2 Units Anselmo
Prince Invincible ran home well to finish second, beaten by a length at Gosford when resuming, and he took can break his maiden second-up on Scone Cup Day.
It is quite clear that Prince Invincible has some ability, placing in four of his six starts since debuting.
There doesn’t look to be as much depth in this race and I’m confident he can go one better.
3 Units Prince Invincible
$200K goes on this line in this Inglis Race for two-year-olds and incredibly, every runner is a maiden.
Dungassen returned a credible effort on debut at Muswellbrook and harbours plenty of upside.
The Smart Missile filly had the benefit of a few trials prior to making her debut, and while she raced greenly, there was a lot to like about the effort.
With improvement, I think that she can fight out the finish of this race.
2 Units E/W Dungassen
Rosa Moyessi hasn’t been seen at the races since December, but she returned some lovely effort during her debut prep and has reportedly flourished in her time away from the track.
The I Am Invincible filly finished down the order on debut, but continued to improve with each start, breaking her maiden at Kembla Grange and finding form around some quality gallopers at Randwick-Kensington.
She produced a couple of nice trials in the lead-up to her return and looks one of the better horses in this field.
2 Units E/W Rosa Moyessi
Total Recall wasn’t able to justify his market favouritism when fifth in the Tamworth Cup, but this looks a far better race for him, and he’ll only improve third-up.
The Paul Messara-trained gelding was an impressive winner in BM86 company here at Scone when resuming and a repeat of that effort would be enough to see him into the winner’s stall again.
6 Units Total Recall
This is a strong edition of the Dark Jewel Classic and there is a case to be made for several mares, including Missile Mantra.
Unlucky not to have won a Group 1 race during her three-year-old season, Missile Mantra has continued to be a great black type horse for the Snowdens throughout the last season, and she has returned to the races in slick form this time.
Having beaten home a classy field over 1200m at Caulfield when resuming, the Smart Missile mare finishing second behind the talented Still A Star in the Listed Anniversary Vase last time out, and she’ll relish racing over the 1400m again third-up on Friday.
3 Units Missile Mantra
The Scone Cup is always an exciting race and typically open from a betting perspective, and I think that it shapes as the perfect target for Bottega in 2021.
Bottega returned to the races with a lovely effort to finish second, beaten a nose by Gem Song in the Newcastle Newmarket, before he filled the minors in the Doncaster Prelude.
He returned a rare flat effort when last in a stacked BM100 race at Randwick last time out, but I’m happy to put a pen through that run, and he looks to be at peak fitness for this contest.
2 Units E/W Bottega
Glowing Red hasn’t run a bad race since debuting, and she can record another win in the last on Scone Cup Day.
The three-year-old daughter of Artie Schiller has recorded two wins and as many placings in four previous trips to the races, and enters this contest off the back of a comfortable win at the same grade at Port Macquarie.
Importantly, she has drawn well into a field whereby many of her leading rivals have drawn awkwardly and with even luck, she’ll be in the finish again.
2 Units E/W Glowing Red