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Rising regional trainer Stirling Osland rarely misses at home track Armidale meetings and with value prospects puts the circumstances in perspective for Tuesday’s seven-race TAB program.

Armidale-based trainer Stirling Osland

“Just relieved to be racing after all the wash outs, but when they’ve missed race fitness it’s more being hopeful than confident, and I’ve had dual acceptances as insurance,” offered Stirling, who also had duals well placed at Monday’s neighbouring Tamworth meeting where maiden Windabull broke through impressively.

“When you program them and keep losing meetings, it makes it hard to find alternate races.”

So, amidst area flooding, Sterling has been in the same boat as his training neighbours; so to speak.

Stirling on his way to Tamworth with several runners reckoned Kingstar Bullet ($8.50 on TAB) was likely his best at Armidale on the strength of wins at Grafton in January and Inverell in early March.

“She’s a really genuine mare, back to 1300m from 1900m and 1800m isn’t ideal but it was the alternative when we’d accepted elsewhere and the meeting was washed out.

“She’s fresh not having raced for five weeks. But she’s not fresh by design, a race we’d set her for was called off.”

Kingstar Bullet, a four-year-old Bull Point mare, contests the XXXX Gold BM 58 (1300m) with 59kg for Mikayla Weir with the admirable record of three wins and as many placings from 14 starts.

“She has won at 1400m so hopefully from the good gate she can position somewhere handy.”

Stirling considers Deep Mirror ($5) a three-race winner resuming from a spell can be competitive at value in the Debortoli Wines BM 58 (1100m) from an ideal inside gate and 59kg for regional star Aaron Bullock.

“She’s forward enough, honest, tries hard without finishing off the way we’d like but she can improve back in grade.”

A big watch is She Hulk ($4.60 favourite in race 5, and $3.60 fav in race 6) the lone runner for the newest Freedman profile training team of Richard and son Will who has accepted for races five and six.

She’s a speed Hinchinbrook filly, placed in harder races at Gosford at Muswellbrook between at Dubbo maiden win when odds-on. She’s drawn inside in both races.

At present Armidale is a Soft 7 with a likely upgrade in fine and sunny weather.

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