Scott Singleton said if jockey Jess Taylor can get Fame Shines ($15 on TAB fixed odds) to the right part of the Kembla Grange track on Thursday, he can win the Woonoona Class 2 Handicap (1300m).
The three-year-old colt ran a nice race last start in town behind Intuition and Taylor will have to ride a similar race from barrier two.
“He needs to get to the outside at some point. He doesn’t like being on the fence.
"He won’t make ground and he drops the bit. Once he gets out wide he starts to really gallop,” Singleton said.
“It’s a nice big track which will help him. If he can be held up until he gets to the outside, that’s the best way to ride him.”
Fame Shines is shooting for win three at start 14 and only has to carry 54kg. Prior to his last run, he ran behind the in-form Bangkok at Mudgee and has form around Moss Trip and Buffy.
“I was pretty happy with his last run and he’s an underrated horse,” Singleton said. “He’s been thinking a bit. He’s a four-year-old stallion in a week’s time but I’ve just got a feeling that he’s working a bit better going into this race.
“He’s not a bad horse. He did enough last start and he’s done well enough at home for me to be confident that he’ll be in the mix.”
Art Of Defence ($10) is Singleton’s other runner and races in the Balgownie Benchmark 66 Handicap (2000m) after coming off a last start win at Goulburn over 2100m.
“He’s been going quite well this preparation and he’s always a chance in a race like this,” Singleton said. “I think he’ll run well because he’s in form but sometimes it’s hard for horses like him to win two in a row but he’ll be around about the mark somewhere.”
The six-year-old will be pushed forward from gate eight and if he gets an easy time of it in the early stages he’ll be finishing hard.
“The trip is more to his liking. You’ve just got to keep him fresh and stick to 2000m. I’ve gone a bit further a few times and he hasn’t quite run it out,” Singleton said.
“I think the small field will help because they won’t run him off his legs early and he can be somewhere there but he’ll need to press forward for the wide gate.”
View the final fields with full form & race replays for Kembla Grange here