Mystery Island's hopes in Warrnambool Cup hinges on weather
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The weather has a firm hold over Mystery Island's hopes of a second straight Warrnambool Cup win on Thursday.
Mystery Island last year's Warrnambool Cup on Soft 6 ground from barrier one but faces tougher circumstances for his bid for back-to-back triumphs.
• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
A heavy shower on Wednesday pushed the track down into the heavy range for the last three races with cold conditions to hinder any track improvement on Thursday.
'We don't want it really wet, a Soft 5 or Soft 6 would be perfect,' Mystery Island's trainer Shane Jackson said.
Mystery Island won from barrier one in 2024 but jockey Harry Coffey will contend with gate 17 this time.
Jackson said Coffey would not change the way he rode the Japanese-bred stayer because of the barrier.
• Cat-like Fox prevails in Galleywood 'dogfight'
'He's flying but he's one of those horses that everything needs to play out in his favour,' Jackson said.
'He's drawn a terrible gate but Harry can work that out.
'You can't force him to be in a winning spot anyway. He has to be ridden where he's happy.'
Mystery Island has had four runs in 2025, finishing two lengths from the winner at Caulfield in March before a strong second in the Terang Cup on April 15.
Jackson said the Terang Cup run was an indication Mystery Island was racing in terrific form.
'His run in the Terang Cup was huge,' Jackson said.
'If he was a pair closer, he wins the Terang Cup.
'Everytime we run in a race we think he can win, they go too slow then he gets outsprinted.'
• Savvy slot-holder reveals secret to Archer success
Mystery Island will carry 54kg on Thursday, the same weight he carried to his first win in the feature event.
However, Jackson said Mystery Island was not the only well-weighted horse in the Warrnambool Cup.
'He's back in on 54(kg) so he's well weighted,' Jackson said.
'(Mornington Cup winner) Bankers Choice not accepting also helped because he was getting in well with 60kg.
'But there's still a couple well in at the weights.'
Mystery Island is on the fourth line of Warrnambool Cup betting at $8.50.
Immediacy is the favourite at $2.80 ahead of the Terang Cup winner Ziryab at $6.
Mystery Island will attempt to give Jackson a win on each of the three days of the Warrnambool May carnival after winning jumps races with Highland Blaze on Tuesday and Jekyll'n'hyde on Wednesday.
Originally published as Mystery Island will need track to stay in soft range in bid for back-to-back Warrnambool Cup wins
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Herald Sun
15 minutes ago
- Herald Sun
AFL news 2025: Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera trade to Crows, false report, Taylor Walker
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera's management has shot down a report suggesting the St Kilda star has put a line through joining Adelaide next season. The silky half back is weighing up a chance to go home to South Australia although the Saints remain confident of keeping the out-of-contract gun playmaker. It was reported on Channel 7's Agenda Setters on Monday night Wanganeen-Milera would only consider Port Adelaide - and not the Crows - over a racism incident involving former Adelaide captain Taylor Walker in 2021. Walker apologised and copped a six-match ban for making a deeply offensive comment toward North Adelaide player Robbie Young in 2021. But Wanganeen-Milera's manager Ben Williams from Players' Ink said his client had not ruled out Adelaide, and was still weighing up his future. 'Reports made in the media suggesting that Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera has ruled out joining the Adelaide Crows due to comments made by Taylor Walker in 2021 are false,' Williams told this masthead. 'Nasiah is currently considering his future and at this stage, no decisions have been made, and any speculation suggesting otherwise is inaccurate.' Wanganeen-Milera will field offers worth more than $1 million a year to stay at St Kilda or switch clubs. The Saints would target Miles Bergman from Port if he chose to move to the Power for next season.

Courier-Mail
7 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
Glen Thompson weighs up Q22 back-up for luckless Queensland Oaks placegetter Benagil
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Flemington trainer Glen Thompson will make a decision on Wednesday on whether gifted filly Benagil will back-up for Saturday's $1.2m Q22 (2200m) at Eagle Farm. Thompson believes Benagil was unlucky not to win last Saturday's Queensland Oaks (2200m) feature after getting caught behind horses in the straight before making a late charge under Mark Zahra. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! She ended up finishing third, less than a length behind the Kris Lees-trained You Wahng and Godolphin's runner Pinito. 'I'll make a decision on Wednesday morning,' Thompson said. 'She's licked the bin out ever since the Oaks and seemed nice and bright this morning (Monday). 'I always had in the back of my mind that if she won (the Oaks) then I'd look at running her in the Q22. 'She should've won so I guess there's no reason not to give her a chance and I don't think it's an overly strong year for it (the Q22). 'Even Mark (Zahra) said she should've won by a length or two. It's frustrating because they're hard races to win and she'll never get another chance in an Oaks again. 'She just needs to give us a sign that she doesn't need to back up. 'She was going to go for a break this week but one more week isn't going to hurt.' • Grafterburners primed for JJ Atkins decider against Cool Archie It would be hard to knock back a chance to contest the weight-for-age Q22, won last year by Fawkner Park, given the winner's cheque is a massive $720,000. Thompson said Craig Williams would ride in the Q22 if he decided that the Australasian Oaks winner Benagil would race on Saturday. 'She'll then have five or six weeks in the paddock up here (in Brisbane) and she'll come back for a couple of runs for the tail end of spring,' he said. Thompson said Benagil would go second-up into the $1m Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on November 1. Originally published as Trainer Glen Thompson weighing up Q22 back-up for filly Benagil

Daily Telegraph
7 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
Scone preview: It Stays In Vegas can kickstart another big day for Scott Singleton
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Local trainer Scott Singleton will again be a force at Scone's first meeting since their annual Cup day/stand-alone carnival where he posted his 400th career win and won the Group 3 Dark Jewel Classic. Singleton is represented by three of his string on Tuesday starting with the lightly-raced three-year-old It Stays In Vegas who tackles the Arrowfield Country Boosted Maiden Plate (1000m). The son of one-time Arrowfield resident stallion Shalaa resumed in the coveted Red Crown at Muswellbrook on June 1 but proved no match for the long odds-on winner, Raging Force. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'I was happy enough for him to run second to that horse there but I was disappointed that he couldn't,'' Singleton said. 'I thought he was just a little bit plain but admittedly, he was first-up and he had to sit outside the leader. 'And it was a funny track that day, it was really gluey and a lot of horses didn't like it so I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that those couple of things might have played against him. 'I think he is a better horse than he went the other day so I am wanting to see him bounce back and do something there on Tuesday.' It Stays In Vegas is a third generation Australian thoroughbred but does indeed have some American blood and via the likes of two epic stallions, one of them an immortal. His third dam was a daughter of Seeking The Gold while her fourth was by Seattle Slew, who this week 48 years ago, completed the US Triple Crown by winning the Belmont Stakes. Singleton, meanwhile, has the honour and distinction of saddling up one of the shortest-priced favourites racing at Scone on Tuesday in Ritzsun ($1.85) in the third race on the eight-event program. Ritzsun has been a model of consistency throughout his nine starts, winning twice (both of them at Scone) together with four placings, three of them seconds. The son of Rosebud winner Sebring Sun's most recent performance was a brave and determined on-pace second in the 1200m TAB Highway conducted at Gosford on the Gold Cup and The Coast day. His Tuesday assignment is the Scone CWA Centenary Benchmark 82 Handicap (1000m). 'Up in grade but down in weight,'' Singleton said. 'He's in an 82 there but he is only carrying 55(kg) so from a good draw and the way he has been working, I would be expecting him to win to be honest.' Ritzsun has already contested three Highways inside his nine starts and win, lose or draw on Tuesday, there will be a fourth somewhere down the road. 'That would be the plan,'' Singleton said. 'He has only won the two (races) so he can win again and still go to a Highway. 'He is definitely good enough to win a Highway if all the stars align.' Singleton is naturally eager for the well-bred mare Insightful Award to post her fourth win in the Darley Country Boosted Benchmark 58 Handicap (1300m) having placed at two of her last three 'away' runs. 'I am hoping that given when she won at Scone earlier in the prep, she bolted in, and that was down to the home-track and she can repeat that because it sort of came from nowhere,'' Singleton said. 'But she has remained in good order. 'She a little bit keen the other day at Warren but she certainly seems in good shape and she'll run well.' Originally published as Scone preview: Three-year-old It Stays In Vegas can kickstart another big day for Scott Singleton