Punters can get off to a good early start in today's Brema Group Handicap (Race 2) at Canberra today.
Honest galloper River Of Salvation looks well placed in the 1400m open handicap on a good fresh up effort and should go close.
Prepared at Warwick Farm by David Pfieffer, River Of Salvation has been well travelled in his short 14 start career, largely with Gai Waterhouse before spending a preparation in Victoria with Malcolm Carson.
With Waterhouse, he starts 11 times for three wins and four placings, winning three on end last summer over 1500m at Kembla Grange, 1600m at Gosford and 1550m at Canterbury.
The next campaign he was placed to 1900m in town before heading to Victoria where he raced twice for a new yard.
Kicking off over 1200m at Mornington, he settled just off the pace and boxed on well for fifth.
He then tackled slow ground in town over 1300m at Sandown Lakeside and with the big weight settled midfield before holding his position there, finishing eighth before another break.
After another spell he switched stables again and had his first run for Pfieffer over 1250m at Canterbury.
Sitting third in the box seat, he angled into the clear at the top of the straight and worked home strongly to finish a length third behind Spot The Rock.
River Of Salvation will be fitter for that run and does have a good second up record.
He has drawn ideally, looks well placed this grade and over the longer journey and with the small field will be close up throughout and hard to hold out.
Fellow Warwick Farm galloper Rapauric looks the biggest danger.
The veteran galloper has had 73 starts for 10 wins and 15 placing but it's been only in the last couple of months he's made a few trips to Canberra with great success.
The gelding resumed here with a fast finishing third then scored an on pace win over a mile at Goulburn before a solid fourth over the same journey Newcastle.
He then backed up over 1400m here and didn't have a lot of luck when a fast finishing second, arguably stiff not to have won.
But he atoned here last time over 1400m in a Benchmark 64, sitting just off the speed before easing wide and running on for a 1.5 length win.
He rises to open company this time but drops 3kg on the win.
He is yet to miss a place in three runs at the track and trip, has a terrific overall record at the journey and will be hard to hold out again.
Hillbilly Dancer worked home well last time and looks a leading player here with a repeat of the run.
The gelding tackled the Town Plate Prelude over 1200m at Wagga last time in the same grade and after drawing wide settled midfield before working home strongly.
The extra ground suits and should be running on strongly.
Local galloper St Emilion is resuming but has a good fresh up record and with the light weight and a good draw should be in the mix again here.
