Sydney and Brisbane racing resumes with star performers!

With very few feature races around Australia this weekend, the spotlight will be on individual horses as racing returns to both Sydney and Brisbane. Racing returns to Randwick for the first time in over 100 days with the highlight being Dance Hero taking on Takeover Target in the Arrowfield Stud Sprint over 1200m. Both horses were being set for the Melbourne Spring Carnival before EI hit and permitted them from crossing the border into Victoria. Takeover Target is currently priced at $1.80 for the race even though he has to carry the huge impost of 61kgs. Dance Hero is 3kgs better off at the weights and is likely to try and use that advantage by running them along in front and getting Takeover Target off the bit.

Racing returns to Doomben in Brisbane with the feature event on their eight race card being the Kings Bloodstock Quality over 1010m. The Gordon Yorke trained Natural Destiny is the short priced favourite at $1.65 and is deserved of that quote. He has won 10 from 13 and is coming off a 12 length barrier trial victory at Port Macquarie so should be tuned right up for this. His main danger if any looks to be Mitanni who comes off a great winter preparation where he was placed in the BTC Cup and Doomben 10,000 both at Group 1 level. Although the 1010m may be short of his best he is sure to be steaming home at the business end.

The Perth Summer carnival continues with the running of the Aquanita and Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot. Dark Target heads the market in the Winterbottom with gun local hoop Paul Harvey picking up the ride. Dark Target failed to run out the 1600m of the WA Guineas last start after pulling too hard in front and is sure to be better suited back to the 1200m. Charlie Beau the full brother to Miss Andretti is the second favourite and will be hoping for more luck than he received last start, running into all sorts of trouble when running 4th. Railway Stakes 4th placegetter Glory Hunter is dropping back 400m in distance and is the query runner in the race. The Aquanita Stakes over 1800m is one the traditional Derby lead ups with Grey Monarch heading the betting at around $3.20. He has not raced since a very impressive first up victory over 1200m and jumps straight up to the 1800m tomorrow in a race that looks a little thin on paper. Providing he handles the step up in distance he does look awfully hard to beat.

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