3 minute read

Adrian Coome looks well poised to land an impressive fifth victory aboard Faint Praise in the Class 6 Handicap (1400m) at Townsville this afternoon.

The Queensland jockey has never been defeated aboard the Gary Farrell-trained four-year-old and the invincible duo has found a nice race here in which to add to that record.

Faint Praise is dropping back in grade after he was beaten 3.3L in no-metro-win company last month at Doomben.

That run landed a weight-adjusted Timeform figure of 75, a repeat performance of which would make him very hard to beat in this.

It followed his narrow win here in open grade two runs back which earned a weight-adjusted figure of 76.

He had a two-week freshen-up in between his Townsville and Doomben runs, and should strip a lot fitter today.

All five of his wins have come at this track, and his record over the journey isn’t as bad as it reads.

His last crack at this trip was down at Eagle Farm in tougher than this where he finished within a length of Dienekes who is one of the better middle-distance gallopers north of the Tweed River.

Expect Coome to take a sit in a perfect spot from barrier three, and from there he’ll be very tough to beat.

The ultra-consistent Castle Express might well be the biggest danger today.

He was beaten less than a length here three weeks back over 1630m producing a weight-adjusted figure of 71.

That followed his third placing here two runs back in similar to today’s assignment over 1400m.

That run netted a figure of 75 which puts him somewhere around Faint Praise’s level.

His biggest problem is the 427 days between now and his last win. Otherwise he looms as a solid each-way player today.

Next best today is possibly Bellaspirit who comes into this off a narrow third placing in open grade here over 1200m.

The run earned her a weight-adjusted figure of 72 and follows up her fourth placing here three runs back in similar to what she finds herself up against here.

Don’t be surprised if she’s somewhere around the mark.