COURAGEOUS Queen has done her best work in 1000-metre races run on heavy tracks at her home course and conditions will again suit her at the Taree meeting on Monday.
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Taree trainer Glen Milligan will send Courageous Queen around in the Jason Garrick Contracting Benchmark 74 Handicap over 1000 metres.
The four-year-old mare loves her home track, where she has raced five times for two wins, a second, a third and just the one unplaced run.
Most importantly, those two wins, which came in just the second and third starts of her career, were over 1007 metres on a Heavy 10 track and 1000 metres on a Heavy 8.
She has run six times on heavy tracks for two wins, a second and a third and all of the evidence points to it being a case of "the wetter, the better" for Courageous Queen because she has raced four times on soft tracks for no wins or placings. Taree was rated a Heavy 10 on Thursday, with the forecast for further rain heading into and during the weekend.
The noted mudlarks among the acceptors are going to have conditions perfect for them.
Courageous Queen finished a close second at her last start, in a Class 3 event over 1007 metres on a Heavy 10 at Taree on April 28.
She settled down as the leader, with the eventual winner Oakfield Badger sitting less than a length away on her outside.
The pair battled it out down the straight before Oakfield Badger edged away to win by 0.39 of a length. Oakfield Badger is a promising four-year-old gelding trained by Kristen Buchanan at Wyong that has won three times and been placed once from just five starts and is a Taree specialist as well, with two wins and a second from three starts there. Milligan expects Courageous Queen to perform well again.
"She went super in that race the other day," he said. "Tried hard and just ran into one that was a little bit better on the day.
"Up in grade here, so it's a bit harder, but she's on the minimum weight and she races well at Taree and flies through the heavy going.
"She's as good as we can get her right now and the jockey (Grant Buckley) has stuck with her from her last start. I'm convinced she'll be very competitive again."
Robarge, trained by Terry Evans at Tuncurry, is another that goes into the race with very good form on heavy tracks. The six-year-old mare did not race on a heavy track in her first 24 starts, but has raced on the heavy in all four starts of her current campaign for two wins and a third. One of those wins came in a Fillies & Mares Benchmark 58 event over 1000 metres on a Heavy 8 at Taree on March 26.
Looking for first win
THE challenge to find the right race for a maiden galloper to break through in takes Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle to Monday's meeting at Taree with In My Dreams and the heavy track should play in the horse's favour.
In My Dreams, now with its third trainer, has shown promise and registered placings in maiden events at Newcastle (twice) and Tuncurry in her seven-race career, but that first win is still to come.
The three-year-old filly hasn't raced at Taree previously, but the astute Doyle has identified the MVRC Members Day 27 May Maiden Handicap over 1000 metres as a suitable race for her.
In My Dreams has had two starts this campaign for a second at Tuncurry and a sixth at Kembla Grange and the race at Tuncurry is the key pointer to her chances here.
It was a $50,000 Super Maiden event that obviously attracts a stronger field of hopefuls than the average country maiden and was run over 1005 metres on a track rated a Heavy 9.
In My Dreams settled down in second place and overtook leader Dreams Of Thunder at the top of the straight before Dreams Of Thunder came again to win.
For her third run back In My Dreams should be further improved and if jockey Ashley Morgan can get her across into a good position from the outsider barrier in the 11-horse field she should be a genuine contender.
