A lightly raced and promising home four-year-old will be set for a bigger sprint target if he claims a second win at Monday’s Goulburn meeting.
Jackpot Star, a progressive son of all-conditions sire Starcraft, is part of a big team on show for the local Matthew Dale stable.
Trainer Matthew Dale.Credit: Getty Images
The gelding lines up in a very winnable Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1100m for just his fourth start since an all-the-way win on debut at Wagga in January, and opened around $2.60 across early betting.
Jackpot Star disappointed into a well beaten third placing here next start before being spelled.
But he returned in strong fashion, missing narrowly in a Class 1 at Albury behind the well-performed galloper Magic Leprechaun.
Given 24 days since that run, and plenty of work on the track, Jackpot Star is primed to take the next step on a likely soft surface, despite drawing the outside barrier.
Prior to that in a Maiden Plate over 1200m, Dale saddles up another progressive four-year-old treading a similar pathway.
Brannum, a gelded son of Everest winner Yes Yes Yes, is also second-up ahead of his fourth start and having not missed a place so far.
He was placed twice at home and Nowra before spelling, then resumed with a narrow and fast-finishing second in a Maiden over 1310m at Moruya.
Brannum opened around $2.40 favourite for Monday’s race ahead of rival home tracker Manwari ($4.00) who also looks well-placed third-up.
