Racing wrap: Trainer Mark Minervini eyes change in city fortunes

Minervini has three runners on the program and Quick Tempo looks the best chance after a strong run when fourth in the listed June Stakes (1100m) at the track two weeks ago.

The Rubick five-year-old came well back on a Heavy 9 track to finish two and a half lengths from the winner, Mnementh. Before that he was second to Opal Ridge in the listed Ortensia Stakes at Scone.

A $15 chance with TAB, Quick Tempo has drawn better than last start, in eight, and has two kilograms off with the claim of Amy McLucas for the 1200m benchmark 88 handicap on Saturday. Randwick was rated a Soft 6 on Friday but rain was expected on Saturday.

Minervini took encouragement from Quick Tempo's recent runs heading into the open affair.

"He's been consistent without winning," Minervini said. "He looks pretty well placed tomorrow, and on his day he can beat those horses, so I just hope for a bit of luck in running and he should be in the mix.

"It's a competitive race. You could pick a few and not get the winner, but he's got to be one of the chances I reckon for sure."

He also has Raging Bull ($51) in race six and Dehorned Unicorn ($34) in the seventh, both with claiming apprentices aboard. The pair were 12^th in races at the June 8 Randwick meeting. Raging Bull was first-up since being ruled out of the Melbourne Cup when failing a bone scan. Formerly trained by Joe Pride, Dehorned Unicorn was on debut for Minervini, who bought him for $65,000 online.

"They were both resuming on a really heavy track a fortnight ago, so it was a bit too much to ask of them," Minervini said.

"But Dehorned Unicorn has improved quite sharply and he will be better on a soft track rather than the heavy he was on the other day.

"He needed the run and it was on a Heavy 9, so he'll be bigger odds than what he should be tomorrow, for sure.

"He's drawn better as well, so with the better draw, the claim, hopefully with all those little things he'll be in the mix.

"Raging Bull is second-up off a long spell. He will continue to improve as he gets deeper into the prep. I don't think he's a winning chance tomorrow."

Meanwhile, he said Hosier, which was 10^th in the Mayors Cup at Randwick two weeks ago, lost a shoe in that race and pulled up sore. He will race again in the next fortnight.

Minervini has two runners at Newcastle on Saturday and he said both were winning chances.

"Got An Inspiration ran really well the other day at Wyong. It came from a mile back and ran third, and Star Impact is back to the provincials with Aaron Bullock on, he'd be a good chance in the last."

Coffs Harbour trainer Brett Dodson will head south with his boom three-year-old Cool Storm to test the Toronado filly in better company at the Newcastle Jockey Club's race meeting on Saturday.

The filly is very fast, and after an easy debut win at Coffs Harbour at her only start in an 810-metre maiden on December 29, she resumes in the Class 1 Handicap (900m).

Cool Storm shared the lead to the turn at Coffs Harbour and she bounded away in the straight to win by more than four lengths. On June 24 the filly won a Doomben barrier trial by 1.5 lengths and she resumes with a tongue tie, and with Matthew Bennett aboard.

The Joe Pride-trained Global Empire is a huge threat considering his form, which includes a close second at Warwick Farm in December, and he won a Wyong maiden in August.

Global Empire is well weighted with 55.5kg, the same weight as Cool Storm after the claim for apprentice Leeshelle Small.

The Paul Perry-trained Flying Argyle, runner up in his only two starts both on this track deserves to break through in the Two-Year-Old Maiden Plate (900m).

The stable has booked promising Scone apprentice Braith Nock to ride the colt and Flying Argyle will only carry 54kg. Both of the two-year-olds starts have been on heavy tracks and he has genuine speed.

Chris Waller's Irish import Fakhra will be hard to beat first up in the Super Maiden Plate (1400m). With the rail out there will only be a field of 10 and she will start from the outside barrier.

Fakhra has only had four starts in Australia and has not raced since being a heavily backed favourite when a close second in a 2000m Hawkesbury maiden on March 9.

She was placed on the Kensington track in January, and she was beaten two lengths by subsequent group 2 winner Wymark at Newcastle in February. Fakhra races well on soft tracks and has had two recent trials.

Mark Minervini's Star Impact is well placed in the Lucy Lenny CF Warriors Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap (1600m).

The mare finished fifth first-up on the Kensington track on May 15 and she has raced well second up in the past. Star Impact has very good wet track form, and at Newcastle she has had two wins and two seconds from five starts.

In her two runs before a spell the mare was beaten half a length at Rosehill and 1.5 lengths at Randwick. The NSW Jockeys Premiership leader Aaron Bullock has the mount.

Kris Lees has a strong hand in the CEG Sales Service Provincial Class 1 Handicap (1400m) with three-year-olds Imposant and Rum Diary.

Imposant draws perfectly in barrier two and the filly put the writing on the wall with a close second on a Heavy 10 Newcastle track first up on June 1. Last preparation she won a provincial maiden on the Beaumont track and was a close second in a Wyong Class 1. Andrew Gibbons has the mount, and he has been aboard in four of her five starts.

Rum Daisy has a win and five placings from six starts and he led all the way to win easily on a heavy Taree track on June 9. Digger McLellan rode him at Taree, and he rides again.

Another Novocastrian which should run well is the Nathan Doyle trained Classic Poetry which had no luck at Scone last start.

HARNESS RACING: Fullerton Cove trainer Lisa McDonald would rather be racing Master Catch at Newcastle but she still believes he can be competitive at Menangle on Saturday night.

Master Catch, which has gate four in the second event, finished last at Newcastle on June 14 after copping a check but was a close second at Albion Park two starts back.

"There's no races at Newcastle for him," McDonald said. "They program a fast class race there once every five weeks, so I went up to Albion Park and he got beat a lip by Luke McCarthy's horse.

"I think he's going really well. It's a hard race but he ran second to Jay OK, which is one of the favourites, and he was a bit unlucky that night, so I don't expect him to be far away for $81."

GREYHOUNDS: Karuah trainer Sam Rees came away with two wins and a second from three runners at The Gardens on Friday.

Rees won with My Moon Shadow and Murrurundi Boy in back-to-back races after Curyo Dancer was runner-up.

My Moon Shadow led from box two in her 515m 5th grade event before holding out the fast-finishing Redeemer Marina in a photo. Murrurundi Boy blitzed the field in the 400m masters event by 12.75 lengths. The Gardens races again on Saturday night.