Bob Milligan speedster Al Be Swift looks nicely placed to notch back-to-back wins at Taree this afternoon.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The six-year-old Magic Albert gelding hit form at this track 11 days back and can go on with it up in grade in today’s Noble Realty-Forster Benchmark 65 Handicap (1000m).
His biggest rival, hardy three-year-old Emperor Of Rome, has been scratched which opens this one right up for Al Be Swift who only has to carry 55kg today with 2kg claiming apprentice Cassandra Schmidt in the saddle.
Schmidt is one of Australia’s form apprentice jockeys and already has 19 wins to her name this season.
Linking with Al Be Swift should give her every chance to bring up win number 20, although she’ll have three chances prior to race five to bring up that milestone.
Al Be Swift won by a length in Benchmark 60 grade at this track and trip 11 days ago carrying 58kg. The drop in weight easily offsets the slight jump in class.
In 21 starts on his home track of Taree he’s grabbed four wins and eight minor placings.
He also does his best work over this trip having won five and placed 12 times over the five-furlong dash.
He’s drawn perfectly in gate five so expect Schmidt to settle her new mount just in behind the speed. When the whips start cracking he’ll be very tough to hold out.
Perhaps his biggest danger today is Ruth Cooper stayer Blinkin Easy who drops well back in trip today five weeks after he was beaten 13.1L in the Lismore Cup by Southern Shimmer.
His form prior to that was pretty solid and he’s been given a freshen-up for this but this will be tough.
Even with the claiming apprentice he must lug 60kg and he only has the one win from four starts at this unsuitable trip.
Still, class plays a big part in country handicaps so don’t be surprised to see him whacking away at the business end.
Brado’s Boy deserves a look, given he ran second to Al Be Swift at this track and trip 11 days ago.
That was a pretty solid run, but he actually meets Al Be Swift a kilogram worse off today with Schmidt’s claim considered so he’ll need to find some improvement which is never easy for a nine-year-old.
Of the rest Young Al might be one to keep safe stepping out for a new stable, but he needs to have improved a long way over his 166-day spell.
