Will It Be A Sweet Delight In Changeover Classic

Ten races will be held at The Creek this Saturday night, with the night highlighted by the Changeover Classic for two-year-olds.

The first feature race in Queensland for the ‘babies’ has drawn together a small but highly competitive field of seven runners, five of which have already been race winners.

The Grant Dixon stable is represented with three runners, all three having already tasted race day success.

Grant will take the drive aboard Cool And Classy, a Captaintreacherous filly, which impressed defeating older horses on debut, the form franked with four of the beaten runners having all been subsequent winners.

A winner of her past two starts, Reds Ablaze will be partnered by Trista Dixon and will have to overcome a wide gate to make it three in succession.

Adam Sanderson who drove at Auckland’s Alexandra Park in the Messenger on Friday night will take the reins on the third Dixon runner, Great Achiever, which broke maiden ranks at Redcliffe two starts back.

The Turpin / McMullen stable is represented by two runners, with Chantal Turpin to drive debut winner Udderly Sweet, while Pete McMullen has opted to sit behind Our Sweet Delight.

Beaten into second on debut by Udderly Sweet, Our Sweet Delight was able to make amends at his next start when leading throughout and finishing them off in a slick closing panel of 27.1.

“I’ve got a reasonably good opinion of the horse,” McMullen said.

“I wouldn’t swap my guy for anything, he seems like a genuine little racehorse.”

With the option to be driving at Menangle where the stable is represented in the New South Wales Oaks by three runners, the fact that McMullen will be in action at The Creek could point towards the strength of his six drives for the night.

Robyn X tackles a qualifying pace and has drawn ideally in gate 1and from there, it looks a perfect opportunity for McMullen to try for an all the way victory, with the mare unbeaten at The Creek in the three races where she has been able to lead.

“She’s got the good draw and the form on the board,” McMullen said.

“We know she can cut a pretty big mile, fingers crossed we can hold up and keep them moving.”

This week’s free-for-all is back to mobile start conditions over the 2138 metre journey where Turn It Up will be chasing his 25^th Albion Park victory.

Already easy in the early markets, there has been money around the Shane Graham trained nine-year-old with all three runners drawn to his inside meeting with support.

Manila Playboy looks to get the perfect trip on the back of Turn It Up but will also be relying on some mid-race tempo to be generated.

Aardies Flash rises in grade to tackle open ranks, with Pete McMullen mindful that if the four-year-old is to force his way into some of the better races in the upcoming Constellations Carnival, then he needs to step up for this assignment.

“Obviously he is up in grade a little bit, but when you look back a few runs ago, he just got beat by Speak The Truth,” he said.

“Im sure he is going to hold his own.”

Race 1 is scheduled for 5.14pm, with race 10 at 9.55pm.

BEST BETS

Chris Barsby- R1 N8 Ok Boomer: “I like the race setup, I think it will be a case of leader behind leader scenario here. He’s back behind the mobile here on Saturday night and his form is very, very good and this is a perfect set up for him.”

Darren Clayton- R10 N2 Bronski Zulu: “He was large in defeat in the APG two starts back when faced with gate 7 and asked to sit parked outside the leader and winner Chicago Bart. He moves into gate 1 with the early scratching and can see this out.”