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By Neil Evans

The strength of the three-year-old ranks at the recent Wagga Cup Carnival goes on the line at Monday's Corowa meeting.

Progressive Albury three-year-old Warpainted is very well placed to get back to winning ways fourth-up in the Balldale Hotel Benchmark 58 Handicap over the mile.

It will only be the gelding's second run for leading border trainer Donna Scott after a rapid fire stable switch from Gary Colvin at Wagga in between the Guineas Prelude and the Listed Final just 17 days ago.

Albury trainer Donna Scott

Warpainted, a dominant Class 1 winner back on Australia Day, was at big odds when having just his sixth start, finishing only three lengths from smart Guineas Prelude winner Dupli Kate.

That was in the Colvin yard before he was abruptly transferred to the Scott camp at Albury, and only a couple of weeks later again produced a brave effort in the Wagga Guineas showdown finishing just over two lengths from Dupli Kate again.

Given the obvious depth of that race run at BM 74 level, Warpainted's immediate big drop in grade here makes him hard to beat on a track that should remain firm having sidestepped all the rain that is hammering the NSW East Coast.

A tough on-speed son of 2018 Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) winner D'argento, Warpainted has drawn ideally to roll forward, with Blaike McDougall taking over in the saddle.

It would certainly snap a recent frustrating run for the Scott stable which hasn't tasted success in nearly five weeks, although a double at Albury on April 17 had capped eight individual winners from her last 22 starts through the first half of autumn.

The race, though, is the last & clearly strongest of three consecutive BM 58 battles to close the Corowa meeting.

Among those challenging Warpainted will be ultra consistent Victorian three-year-old Torn who has run three straight second placings over the border since a BM58 win at Benalla in mid-March.

Throw in tough mare Midnight Affair who drops back from two game efforts in much tougher Saturday Class 3 Highway company, and Drunken Sailor also back from Cl 3 level third-up, and it threatens to prove a strong formline finish to the day.

View final fields with full form & race replays for Corowa here