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Hawkesbury’s leading trainer Scott Singleton says “weight is right” for Adjective to make a successful return on his home track tomorrow.

Singleton, currently sitting third with nine wins behind Sydney big guns Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott (14) and Chris Waller (11) in this season’s premiership, has named Adjective as his best chance to increase his local tally.

He is confident he has pulled the right rein in booking talented apprentice Jean Van Overmeire, whose 3kg claim will greatly offset the gelding’s original 62.5kg topweight in the Blacktown Workers Group Benchmark 65 Handicap (1000m).

“Adjective was narrowly beaten at his first two runs at his last racing campaign with 62kg and 62.5kg,” Singleton said this morning.

“I didn’t want to see him narrowly beaten again, and then wished I had claimed on him.

“Jean is a terrific rider, and his allowance brings Adjective in really well with 59.5kg.”

Adjective, a five-year-old by Ad Valorem, has raced 16 times to date for three wins and four placings. Two of those wins have been on his home track, and Singleton has given him his tick of approval for his first-up assignment.

“He is going super,” he said. “Though there was nothing major, we have always had some problems with his legs.

“But he had a good, long spell this time and is as sound as I have ever had him.

“His action was really good at the trials last week.”

Singleton took Adjective to Kembla Grange last Wednesday, and he won an 800m barrier trial with Kathy O’Hara aboard.

Singleton has six acceptors at Hawkesbury tomorrow, but is likely to have only four representatives as this morning he listed Base Camp and Fortunately as doubtful starters.

His other certain runners are So Blessed (O’Hara, 1400m Pink Finss Charity Benchmark 60 Handicap), Poet’s Advocate (Christian Reith, 1600m Clarendon Tavern Class 2 Handicap) and Triksing (Jess Taylor, 1800m Blakes Marine Maiden Handicap).

“So Blessed broke through at Nowra at her last start (on April 30) and can gallop, but is still a bit wayward,” Singleton said.

“She went through the fence at Gosford last August when on debut, and broke Jess Taylor’s wrist.

“There’s no doubt she can gallop, and has definitely come on from the Nowra win, though she’s still not fully there.”

Singleton said Poet’s Advocate was in good order, and should not be underestimated in spite of his 59kg topweight in the Class 2 Handicap.

“He ran fifth (to Eusebio) in the Canberra Guineas in March, and his last start fourth at home was pretty good in the circumstances as he was burrowing down under his stall and missed the start by a few lengths.

“He has won two of his 12 starts, but has been a problem at the barrier. His record doesn’t do him justice; it should read better than it does.”

Singleton has put winkers on his other runner Triksing (1600m Maiden), hoping they will help him switch him on at only his third start.

“He is a big Octagonal colt, and is very casual about life,” he said. “The 1800m will suit because the longer the better for him.

“With more maturity, I feel he will be a better horse next season.”

Singleton is keeping a close eye on his star filly Shazee Lee, who provided him with the biggest success of his 14-year training career by winning the Group 3 Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) on April 29.

“She is spelling and doing really well with the sun on her back at present,” he said.

“But I won’t leave her out for long once the weather starts getting colder. We will look at some of the Listed mares’ races early in the spring with her and see how she shapes up.”

Whilst Singleton leads his local premiership with nine wins, fellow Hawkesbury trainers Garry White (5), and Noel Mayfield-Smith and Jason Attard (4 each) are also doing well.

White has excellent prospects with last-start winner Lady Chalfont (Mitchell Bell) in the 1400m Benchmark 60 Handicap and recent placegetter Letter To Juliette (Grant Buckley) in the 1800m Maiden.

Mayfield-Smith does not have a runner tomorrow, and Attard will be represented by Pretty Smart (Glyn Schofield) in the Benchmark 60 against Lady Chalfont and So Blessed.

Attard underwent surgery on Monday evening to repair his right collarbone, fractured in several places in a trackwork accident yesterday week, and is recuperating at home.

The rail is 4m out from the 1300m to the winning post and in the TRUE position for the remainder, and the track this morning was rated a “Good 4“, with a penetrometer reading of 4.92.

There has been only 5mm of rain at Hawkesbury in the past seven days, and 10mm of irrigation has been put on the track in the same period.

View the fields and form (including race replays) for Hawkesbury here.

Selections are: RACE 1: CALIFORNIA WISDOM, Happy Hustler, Belle Tournure. RACE 2: THE CHEETAH, Chicquita, Palomino. RACE 3: PENSKE, Bodhi Blue, Twice As Sweet. RACE 4: LION COUCHANT, Bonita, Adjective. RACE 5: LADY CHALFONT, Maddison Avenue, So Blessed. RACE 6: BASE CAMP, Wave Reviews, Promas. RACE 7: SMOOTH WHISKEY, Not To Be Caught, Letter To Juliette. RACE 8: COLOUR OF MONEY, Segenhoe, Vain Elaine. SPECIALS: CALIFORNIA WISDOM, LION COUCHANT, SMOOTH WHISKEY.