Honest campaigner My Survivor can notch up his first soft track win in today's Cardinia Club Handicap (race 7) at Pakenham.
The in form gelding, prepared at Cranbourne by Nevin Eades, has been in great form recently and looks well and truly up to this RB72 over 1000m.
From just 10 career starts he has three wins and six minors with his only unplaced effort coming on a slow track but he can re-write that anomaly with a win today.
The gelding resumed here in a picnic meeting on New Year's day and carrying 69.5kg was just edged out, finishing runner–up.
He followed that with another narrow loss, this time unlucky not to have won, in an RB68 over 1000m at Cranbourne.
Next start, over 1100m at Werribee, he carried 59kg to a solid second behind Invincible Lady before breaking through there next time out in a showcase RB72.
Settling second, he turned there and proved too tough in the finish to score a narrow win.
Last start, again at Werribee but back to an RB68, he had the bigger weight of 60kg and again turned in an honest run, this time settling just off the leader before lifting strongly and finishing third, less than a length behind the winner.
Today My Survivor rises slightly in grade but drops the 2kg.
The track suits having just been pipped at his only run here and at the trip he has a win and four seconds.
The gelding has drawn well and will no doubt give his all on the speed again.
His only unplaced run was on slow ground at Cranbourne last spring and there he sat third over 1200m before fading to finish seventh.
He wasn't disgraced and it's worth noting following that run he's never returned to 1200m again, suggesting he didn't run the journey, as opposed to not handling the conditions.
While racing in such good form over the shorter trips there's little doubt he'll be in the finish again today.
While My Survivor is well exposed and at his right level today, the Eric Musgrove trained Notdatpetite returns in grade to get back into form.
The gelding was runner up over 1000m at Cranbourne second up from a spell in this grade, working home soundly to finish less than a length from the winner.
He was then fourth at Werribee in this class after getting back from the inside gate, making some ground in the straight but finishing several lengths form the winner.
Next start was at Ballarat where he ran a similar race, working home well along the inside to finish fourth.
Last start, over 955m in one of the 55 second challenges at Moonee Valley, jockey Eddie Cassar tried to hold a position close to the action and was fourth throughout but outdashed in the run home, coming in sixth behind Stratcombe.
Today he'll find this grade a bit easier and although drawn wide you would expect he'd camp off them and run home hard.
Biondi also comes into this off the back of a 55 second challenge heat and should give a big sight.
The Leigh Dunstone trained gelding placed in our four starts back behind Exceed And Excite before finishing ninth at Caulfield over 1200m.
He then led and fought on well when a narrow fourth over 1000m at Cranbourne before finishing seventh over 955m at Moonee Valley when below par behind Bella's Cry.
Dunstone has given the gelding a let up since then and he returns to Pakenham where he has raced four times for two wins and two minors.
The claim helps, he has drawn well and should be prominent throughout.
Stately Dash had no luck at all at Kilmore last time and faded right out of it but his previous form is sound for this including a city placings and a Moonee Valley fourth two back.
He might be 11 but he's still going well and looks nicely placed here.
