By Neil Evans
A pair of hard fit and progressive Dubbo gallopers are both out to make it three straight wins when they line up at Monday’s Bathurst meeting.
And they could lead home another big haul at the track for Dubbo stables, enjoying another terrific start to a new season.
Slush Fund ($3.70 favourite on TAB), a tough on-speed five-year-old in the Clint Lundholm stable, tackles a very winnable Horse Of The Year Geostorm Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1406m fifth-up.
Sweet As A Kiss (Siena Grima) after winning at Bathurst. Image by Janian McMillan (Racing Photography)
The son of 2016 Golden Slipper winner Capitalist has never raced better, winning his last two in dominant fashion.
Two starts ago at this track he led all the way with something in hand to beat a BM 58 field with a little more depth than this by more than two lengths.
Then a fortnight ago on Forbes Cup day he sat behind the speed against similar opposition before again proving too strong over 1400m in heavy ground.
With regular claiming jockey Zoe Hunt aboard, Slush Fund is set to win again and then likely be aimed at a bigger race late next month on Dubbo Cup day.
Later on the program fellow Dubbo raider Sweet As A Kiss ($3.60 fav) is eyeing off a third consecutive win in the Thanks Janian McMillan BM 66 Handicap over 2006m.
A US-sired four-year-old mare in the Garry Lunn stable, Sweet As A Kiss has twice charged home from well off the speed, both at home and at Bathurst, to destroy her opposition up to this level.
And she may well be set for a Saturday provincial race or a start in mid-week metropolitan company, if she puts this field to the sword with Siena Grima again in the saddle.
Sweet As A Kiss may even be freshened up and be aimed at the $150,000 Dubbo Gold Cup over a mile and a chance to grab a spot in the rich Big Dance at Randwick on Melbourne Cup day.
Lunn is enjoying the best run of his training career with seven individual winners from his last 17 runners including a treble at this track on July 21, while Lundholm has five wins from his last 20 starters.
Throw in wily Michael Mulholland who has five winners from his last 14 runners, including Saturday’s dominant Highway winner at Rosehill Kranich, and the strength of Dubbo racing has never boasted such depth.
View the final fields with full form & race replays for Bathurst here