Midweek racing at Sandown this afternoon sees two OTI runners primed to go one better on their most recent efforts.
Dark Pearl (barrier one) drops back in grade and will be well fancied when he contests the opening race on the card (2:55pm AEDT). It will be his first attempt over 3000m and now appears the right time to step out to the trip with the horse rock-hard fit.
The form around the Born To Sea six-year-old reads well after Good Idea (whom beaten just over a length by) ran 2nd in the Adelaide Cup on Monday.
Urban Lumberjack (barrier five) has taken good improvement from his first up run at Donald and is suited out to 1300m (Race 4 – 4:40pm AEDT) on a big track.
Whilst the horse appears set to peak over slightly further with the benefit of another run, trainer Mitch Freedman is confident the four-year-old is in the best possible order for this stage of his preparation.
In the second of the day’s staying races, Tigre Royale (barrier five) gets his chance to record a second career victory when he lines up in a 2400m BM64 (Race 6 – 5:50pm AEDT).
He was brave in what was his first run over the distance this campaign on February 26. With the pattern of the day against, he couldn’t reel in leader Kentucky Tornado in the straight but left connections excited, anticipating that he would be ready next start.
