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By Tony Megahey

For breeding enthusiasts and form students, leading regional trainers Luke Pepper and Wayne Wilkes are the focus for the Muswellbrook TAB meeting on Monday.

Pepper’s impressive trial winning two-year-old Platinum Ridge ($10 on TAB) is a half-brother to Luke’s marvellous Group mare Opal Ridge from the same dam Chadana, and makes his debut in a feature two-year-old sprint against newcomers from strong city stables.

While the Wilkes-trained city grade stayer Our Bambino ($34), placed to the Englishman last prep is topweight, forward and resuming in the feature Bengalla Cup 1280m, attracting a hot field.

Opal Ridge (Tyler Schiller) in action - her younger half-brother will make his debut at Muswellbrook on Monday. Image by Bradley Photographers

Along with Platinum Ridge excitement abounds in Pepper’s Scone stable as Listed-Ortensia Stakes winner Opal Ridge is back in work from the Brisbane Carnival and has been set for the Group 3-Toy Show Stakes (1100m) at Royal Randwick on August 24.

“She’s in great order, a month back from Brisbane so has the residual fitness - her best form is always fresh into the Toy Show, we’ve always got high expectations with this mare,” Pepper enthused.

Late two-year-old gelding Platinum Ridge debuts in a Muswellbrook Motors 2YO Maiden (1000m) with the key booking of regional ace Ben Looker.

“He’s massively built, really impressive, we’ve had him in work previously but turned him out, he needed more time and management but lovely trial.

"He has trained on and it's time to see if he can take it to the races.”

Platinum Ridge three weeks ago won a six-horse Scone 1000m trial ridden by apprentice Julia Presits. The vastly experienced regional premiership-winning Looker takes over for the gelding’s all import first race start in a capacity field from barrier 7 and 57kg.

Newcomers from the Waterhouse & Bott, Neasham and Cavanough stables make it an interesting watch, and the betting all important.

Meanwhile, seven-race winning Our Bambino resumes in the Bengalla Cup. His 59kg topweight is reduced by the 2kg claim for Teighan Worsnop.

“He’s been in work around 10 weeks, so he’s forward enough, I’m expecting him to run well with his quality but 1200m is well short of his best range and it’s a smart field of sprinters,” offered Wilkes.

The TAB favourite resuming is the Brett Cavanough-trained impeccably bred Point Basse ($2.40) ridden by regular rider Mitchell Bell, who has won three out of four sprint starts at Scone at short odds and successful fresh with Bell.

The 4yo is a valuable entire by I Am Invincible out of a Choisir mare Champagne Harmony.

Muswellbrook is a Soft 7 under overcast skies.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Muswellbrook here