5 To Follow: MLT Wyndham Cup Day

Jonny Turner Harness Racing Journalist

Wyndham is in for a big month of harness racing starting with their annual cup meeting on Saturday and ending with the Group Two Kindergarten Stakes in a fortnight.

Jonny Turner has delved into the form for day one of the Wyndham carnival and has five horses for harness racing fans to follow.

Midnight Babe - Race 3

Judging by her last-start performance, Midnight Babe is thriving in the south.

After moving to Kirstin Green’s barn, the mare produced a tenacious second placing after sitting parked throughout at Ascot Park.

To make the effort even better, it came on a testing track which looked hard going for most horses that had to work in their runs.

Midnight Babe takes on a slightly harder grade on Saturday but she gets a draw advantage over most of her main rivals in barrier 5.

It all adds up to her looking a solid eachway threat.

Chicago Sky – Race 5

Stepping up to 2400m looks a real leveller for the fillies contesting heat two of the Southern Oaks Series.

Many have strutted their stuff over shorter trips, but are not so proven over this slightly longer distance.

Chicago Sky worked during her last heat run at Oamaru and stuck on well in a race dominated by those who sat off the speed.

That outing was the filly’s first in around a month, so she is likely to have benefitted from it.

In what could be a test of stamina, rather than sheer speed on Saturday, she looks a strong option.

Wag Star – Race 6

Being beaten 7.1 lengths by one of his main rivals on Saturday doesn’t look like the best form recommendation for Wag Star in the Wyndham Cup.

But there was enough against the pacer in his last run to suggest he could turn things around in his hometown feature.

Wag Star worked hard when unable to make the lead last week, with the horse on his inner racing fiercely.

On a wet track where horses struggled to work and stick on all day, there was good merit in the five-year-old’s fourth.

While he’s no home run, with a bit more even luck Wag Star can show his true class on Saturday.

Ruby Roe & Molly Belwin – Race 7

Saturday’s Southern Belle Series heat is a cracker.

I counted five horses with strong winning claims, plus more who can win with a little bit of luck on their side.

In terms of a top pick, it is hard to go past Ruby Roe who was excellent in a prior heat of this series at Winton.

Though the leaders ran a relatively slow time, it wasn’t enough to stop Ruby Roe from powering home from off the speed to win.

Look for this classy mare late again on Saturday, she looks very hard to beat.

There are many threats to the favourite, including Molly Belwin who could run a cheeky race at odds.

The mare is as fast as any of her rivals over 200m and with a sweet trip, she could be sling-shotting her rivals late.