Zephen Johnston-Porter on Suntino. Photos: Greg Symes.
Trainer Helen Harding will rely on some of her stable’s most consistent performers to continue her in-form yard’s run at the Esperance Bay Turf Club on Saturday.
Harding had a winning treble and a placing from 12 starters at the Esperance Bay track last Saturday and will saddle up 13 runners at the Australia Day meeting.
The local conditioner already has nine winners for the season and is hoping to add to the haul with Everlasting Spirit in the Joan Hazel Stewart Memorial Maiden (1400m).
Later in program, Uncompromised lines up in the Esperance Quality Grains Handicap over the same distance.
Uncompromised is a six-year-old Xtravagant gelding which has won seven of 24 starts, including first up on January 3 at the New Year’s meeting where it defeated I Am Spartacus by a head.
The pair meet over 1400 metres again, where I Am Spartacus will have a one kilo pull in the weights over Uncompromised from their previous battle.
Harding will have the services of leading provincial jockey Tash Faithfull aboard Everlasting Spirit, Paradise Star, Fameux, Uncompromised, Lacie Ace and Floppy for the meeting.
Faithfull will pilot I Had A Dream in the opening event for Josh Brown.
Leading trainer at the EBTC this season with 13 winners from 51 runners, Brown will look to a trio of last start beaten favourites to provide his yard with victors for the meeting.
Brown provides six runners for the meeting including I Had A Dream in the Western Fuels Group Maiden (1400m), Sugared Up in the Joan Hazel Stewart Memorial Maiden (1400m), and Sniper’s Son in the Kleenwest Distributors Handicap (1100m).
True Chance will be looking for its fourth win in a row at the Esperance Bay Track this season in the last race of the day at 5.37pm, the Esperance Real Estate Handicap over the unique distance of 1975 metres.
The only query of the five-year-old Spieth gelding trained by Gary Burger will be whether it can handle the rise in distance from the 1600 metres last start.
However, the method it won by on January 3, beating King Kawana and Kenny The King by 1.4 lengths, suggests that the extra distance should be no problem.
Burger, who has a small but select team for local connections, is the inform trainer in terms of strike rate with four winners, three seconds and a third placing from only nine starters this season.
The first race is scheduled to start and 1.57pm and the last at 5.37pm, with a bus service leaving the Pink Lake IGA at 12.57pm and picking up punters at various locations around town before arriving at the course at 1.27pm.
A return bus service will leave the Esperance Bay course at 6.37pm and further details are on the Esperance Bay Turf Club Facebook page.
Tips
RACE 1: DEMTRIOUS, Flinders Lane, I Had A Dream, Gem’s Man.
RACE 2: SUGARED UP, Everlasting Spirit, Nadell, Elounda Star.
RACE 3: SNIPER’S SON, Universal Playboy, Zeebeedee Springs, Paradise Star.
RACE 4: HABIB, Some Sort, Blue Can Talk, Lucky Sue.
RACE 5: UNCOMPROMISED, I Am Spartacus, Wheatstack Thief, Northern Ivy.
RACE 6: LADY DUCATI, Prized Jewel, Lacie Ace, Pure Quality.
RACE 7: TRUE CHANCE, Friar The Gun, My Boy Eddy, Red With Ted.
