Life O’Brien will look to continue his solid recent form when stepping out in the Western Front Class 1 Handicap (1600m) at Nowra today.
The Tony McEvoy-trained runner has made a pleasing start to his career, winning on debut before a good run for third in a class 3 at Muswellbrook last start over 1750m.
Life O’Brien will appreciate the drop in trip back to the mile along with the slight drop in class.
The three-year-old gelding rates well on what he has produced to date and will no doubt improve again here third up.
Mitchell Bell who has been riding well of late goes on board for the first time and he looks hard to go past against these.
From barrier 5 would be expect him to settle around midfield in this company and he should be hitting the line strongly over the mile.
Lad About Town shapes up as the main danger despite not having won a race in 675 days now.
The Kerry Parker-trained runner has been very consistent in recent times, following up six placings with a close fourth last time out.
Drops back in grade for this and despite having run pretty well in recent times, having not won in so long gives the advantage to Life O’Brien.
Jeff Penza stays on board and from barrier 11 would expect the four-year-old to push forward and take plenty of running down.
Our Sassy Girl comes out of the same race as Lad About Town, running a close up seventh when back in trip.
The four-year-old mare has been mixing her form of late but the blinkers go on first time today and on best form she measures up well against these.
Expect her to be around the mark once again and is certainly worth including here.
Stoic rounds out the main chances, having finished in the placings three of his four outings this campaign and was not far away when third at Moruya last start.
Drawn wide in barrier 13 but is likely to go forward, however the step up to mile may prove too much for him, unplaced from two previous efforts.
The Quickstep and Sungine have very minor place claims and would need to improve on recent form to be any chance of threatening here.
