By John Schell
Local trainer Rodney Northam will be out to make a major impact at Scone on Tuesday when he has seven runners spread across the seven-race card.
Northam will start the day in the second event of the day when he combines with 3kg-claiming apprentice Leeshelle Small in the Emirates Park Class 1 Handicap – Heat Of The Rising Star (1400m).
Great Point ($3.70 on TAB) has finished second in each of her latest two starts at Scone and Muswellbrook and was beaten less than a length as an odds-on favourite when last produced.
Small will ride Questionable ($31) for Northam in the Lion Country Boosted Maiden Handicap (1300m), while stablemate and short-priced favourite One Man Show ($1.55) will contest the same event with Reece Jones taking the ride.
Questionable is a filly on debut and wasn’t beaten far in a barrier trial midway through the year, while One Man Show is also on debut, with the gelding by Showtime impressing when winning each of his trials.
Jones will partner the promising Shropshire Lad ($1.85 fav) for Northam in the Muswellbrook Ford Maiden Plate (1100m) with the gelding by Supido only needing to overcome a wide barrier (15).
Shropshire Lad won two trials at Scone in February and November before debuting with a luckless second behind Overtook at Newcastle late last month.
Jones and Small will stick with Northam when they partner Hammoon Thunder ($51) and Zippo Idea ($5.50) respectively in the Select Events Benchmark 66 Handicap (1300m).
Hammoon Thunder is resuming from a lengthy spell but has the advantage of gate one, while Zippo Idea is a winner of two of her nine starts that has tackled Highway grade in the city and has had a trial since losing her rider at this track when last in action at this track.
Northam will finish the day when the promising Speck ($8.50) contests the Widden Country Boosted Benchmark 58 Handicap (1100m) with Jean Van Overmeire taking the ride.
Speck has won two of her five starts and the daughter of Bon Hoffa was right back to her best when scoring a last start Tamworth victory when second-up from a spell.
View the final fields with full form & race replays for Scone here