By Neil Evans
A progressive Scone mare is set to shrug off an unsuccessful tilt at metropolitan opposition and bounce back hard at Monday's Newcastle meeting on the Beaumont Track.
Kimberley Moon ($3.20 favourite on TAB), an adaptable four-year-old daughter of Stratum Star in the Scott Singleton stable, returns to the track where she tasted a third career success six weeks ago.
Kimberley Moon (Mitch Stapleford) hangs on to win narrowly at Newcastle. Image by Bradley Photographers
That came in a Fillies and Mares Benchmark 58 Hcp over 1150m on Soft 6 ground before she went to Canterbury under lights to take on a much tougher Class 3 Highway field.
Covering ground for much of the 1250m trip, Kimberley Moon stuck on okay to be beaten four lengths.
But given a month-long freshen-up, Kimberley Moon is primed to return to the winner's stall in the TAB App Country Boosted Benchmark 66 Handicap over 1150m.
And fueling owners' and punters' confidence is the Heavy 8 track rating after plenty of lead-up rain.
Kimberley Moon has always shown a liking for rain-affected ground, and she's drawn in gate 6 to stay away from the rail here, and get to the middle of the track over the final 300m.
Fresh off a very successful Country Cchampionships Wildcard qualifying meeting on Friday, Scone stables are hunting another lucrative day out in Newcastle.
In the race prior, the Brett Cavanough yard will be full of confidence emerging mare Sirius Flyer ($3.10) can break through at her seventh start in the Hungerford Hill Wines Maiden Handicap over 1350m.
Placed in two runs back from a lengthy spell, Sirius Flyer chased hard to miss narrowly in a handy affair at Mudgee second-up and she's another one advantaged by wet going.
View final fields with full form & race replays for Beaumont Track here