CRANBOURNE trainer Shawn Mathrick has enjoyed successful trips into the district in the past and he has a strong three horse team competing at the bet365 Mildura Racing Club’s first meeting in 2025 at Sunday’s Mildura Motor Holding’s race day.
Mathrick will not be on track on Sunday as he is recovering from knee surgery, but he will be following the fortunes of The Wizard King, Jessup and Saxon Beauty who are all leading chances in their respective events from his hospital bed.
The Wizard King has been competing against stronger opposition than he meets on Sunday, including an easy win at Avoca in March when ridden by Jackie Beriman who will be onboard again at Mildura.
“He is a handy horse for us as he rarely runs a bad race and it is a suitable race for him at Mildura,” Mathrick said.
The Wizard King has a wide draw in barrier 16 and has to contend with a big weight of 60kgs, but Mathrick is confident he will go close to achieving his sixth career win.
“He has good gate speed and Jackie (Beriman) has ridden him in a few wins and knows the horse well. He may have to sit a bit wide in the run, but he has the class to be able to do it and still win,” he said.
The five-year-old Jessup will contest the Mildura GWM Cannon 0-58 Handicap and his on-pace racing style should suit him at Mildura on Sunday.
Jessup is a consistent galloper with four wins and 13 placings from 30 outings and it may pay to overlook his latest outing at Werribee where he finished last of the 11 runners.
“I don’t know what happened to him last time as we checked him out and there were no issues with him, but he has been working good at home since that run and hopefully he will bounce back and run a big race,” Mathrick said.
The stablemate Saxon Beauty will also line-up against Jessup in the final event on the program as she has her first run for Mathrick after being previously prepared by the Mark and Levi Kavanagh stable at Flemington.
“I am keen to have a look at her and see how she goes as I have put a bit of weight on her and she is coming off running second in a trial at Cranbourne. I enjoy racing at Mildura and hopefully it can be another profitable time for us,” Mathrick said.
Local trainer Raharna McDonald has plenty of chances on the program with her big eight horse team including Sabermetric, Limbering, Fiorente Spritz and Alaskan Storm.
Sabermetric transferred into the McDonald stable late last year and although he is yet to achieve a win since coming into the district, he has gone close by finishing second on three occasions at the Murray Bridge track.
Sabermetric looks well suited in the Ausloans Mildura Your Finance Solution Handicap as he made up good ground late in the race over the flying 900m distance at Murray Bridge last week to finish in a mid-field position.
The six-year-old will be better suited over the 1000m distance and can bring up his first win for Raharna McDonald.
Ballarat trainer Pat Kearney will contest the race with the lightly raced Torvecchio, who is having her first run for the stable after being previously prepared by Austy Coffey at Swan Hill.
Torvecchio has trialed well in two recent outings and this is a suitable first up assignment for the three-year-old.
Kearney is bringing up a four-horse team and the interesting runner of his team is Tempt The Gods who will contest the All New Kia Tasman Ute Maiden.
Tempt The God won a trial at Ballarat late last year and Kearney then decided to make the long trek to Hobart with the two-year-old for his debut run and although he was well supported in the betting he finished 9th of the 11 runners.
Tempt The God was then sent for a spell and he has had two recent trials to finish second on both occasions at Ballarat and Ararat, so it may pay to monitor any betting moves to gain a guide to his winning chances on Sunday.
The first of seven races on the program is the bet365 Mildura Cup on July 18 Maiden Plate to be run at 12.55pm and Ms Hubble from the Henry Dwyer stable at Ballarat has a top opportunity to bring up her first career win.
Ms Hubble ran the best race of her seven-start career at her latest outing at her home track to finish a gallant second after being over-run by the short priced favourite Shadeelaa over the concluding stages.
Ms Hubble has put the writing on the wall for an upcoming victory and is well suited to achieve the feat at the Mildura meeting on Sunday.
Patrons will be admitted to Sunday’s meeting at Sandilong Park free of charge.
SELECTIONS
1: 9 Ms Hubble, 1 Allinthetiming, 11 Pinero, 3 More Give It
2: 1 Cavill Tycoon, 7 Legal Drama, 12 Tempt The Gods, 5 The Violet Prince
3: 3 Empirestateofmind, 4 Just Hangin’, 8 Henry’s Faith, 7 Garnet Bay
4: 1 Eight Under, 6 Dubai Legend, 7 Fiorente Spritz, 4 Tofino
5: 3 Sabermetric, 1 The Wayfarer, 5 Torvecchio, 4 Winning Aura
6: 1 The Wizard King, 7 Pinchbeck, 4 Our Divinyl, 2 Vilnius
7: 1 Jessup, 5 Oh So Thrilling, 8 Limbering, 9 My Truth
