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By Greg Prichard

Scone trainer Scott Singleton is set to take a team of at least four horses to the Taree race meeting on Monday and their overall form suggests he is a big chance of getting among the winners.

One of his five acceptors for the seven-race meeting Dash By, is also an acceptor for a race at Dubbo on Monday and has not been scratched from either meeting at this stage.

If the five-year-old mare runs at Taree it will be in race three, the TAB Venue Mode Benchmark 58 Handicap over 2000m.

Dash By (Tilly McCarroll) lands the money at Muswellbrook. Image by Bradley Photographers

Dash By is right up to the challenge of being competitive over the middle distance, having won over 2050m in a Class 1 race at Gunnedah on September 27.

That was the first leg of back-to-back wins for her as she then came back from a short spell to win a Benchmark 58 event over 1750m at Muswellbrook on November 28.

At her most recent start in a Benchmark 66 event over 2000m at Taree on January 2, Dash By finished off well for a 1.84 length second to Monty Be Quick.

Dash By is in easily the best form of her career, with her last seven runs bringing two wins, one second and three thirds and just the one unplaced run. She has three wins and four minor placings from her 13 career starts.

Singleton has an unraced three-year-old gelding Sobek in race one - the Café Nosh & MVRC Country Boosted Maiden Plate over 1000m. And he looks to have potential, having won all three of his barrier trials.

Three-year-old filly Ocean Tsunami, Singleton’s runner in race two – the XXXX Class 1 & Maiden Plate over 1600m – has made a strong start to her career with a win at Scone and a second at the Beaumont track at Newcastle, both in December.

She was scratched from a race at Gosford on Friday and the combined Class 1 and Maiden class gives her a good chance to take another step up that is within her range.

Beyond My Ken has been a bit inconsistent recently, but if the four-year-old gelding produces his best form then he’s in with a chance in race six - the Summer Racing at MVRC Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1000m.

He found TAB Highway Handicap class in Sydney too difficult last start, but immediately before that he was a winner at Country Class 1 level at Muswellbrook.

And Singleton’s runner in race seven Oakfield Utah, has had just the one start for a dead-heat first with Lady Billie in a Maiden event over 1000m at Tamworth on December 22.

The three-year-old gelding fought hard when challenged by Lady Billie over the last 200m and can be expected to take improvement from that experience going into the Stacks Law Firm Country Boosted Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1250m.

Plus, leading country jockey Aaron Bullock remains on-board Oakfield Utah after riding him that day. Bullock, with his huge resources of know-how, is the perfect partner for a young horse with a bit of ability that is still learning.

*First race 1.50pm. Gates open midday. Entry $10 adults and $5 concession. Café Nosh Taree Bistro, bar and full TAB and bookmaker facilities in the air-conditioned Winning Post Function Centre.

See Manning Valley Race Club's Facebook page for more details.

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