TAB Black Mountain attracts 12 speedsters

There’s always something appealing about older and very sparingly raced sprinters, and Friday’s feature TAB Federal Black Mountain Quality over 1000m at Thoroughbred Park, can lay testament to that.

Likely to be run on an improving track around the Soft 6 range with the rail out 5m, a strong field of sprinters has been assembled.

And it’s a real test for punters, with just over half the field - including some of the strongest fancies - resuming.

One of those, trained up the freeway at Goulburn, looms as the one to beat.

Extravagant Lad, a still lightly raced seven-year-old by NZ sire Xtravagant, hasn’t started since being beaten a long neck in a BM 72 at Warwick Farm over 1000m in early May after being backed from $3.70 into $3.10.

That capped a three-prong campaign after he had swept home for a dominant feature sprint win on Orange Cup day before failing in a much deeper BM 78 at Randwick at the tail end of the autumn carnival.

Two big factors are in play here. His best figures are on soft ground, and three of his six career wins from only 27 starts have come when fresh.

Extravagant Lad was given a nice easy trial here a fortnight ago, and this has always been a spring starting point for connections of the gelding.

With naturally a solid speed up front over the flying trip, he can settle back around midfield, and importantly off the fence before launching over the final 300m.

Intriguingly, the Collings yard also saddles up lightly raced six-year-old Mogo Magic for his first run since placing in a Federal BM 85 over 1280m here in late June.

Similarly, with a smart first-up and soft track record, and plenty of tactical speed to boot, Mogo Magic is also right in the hunt.

The son of Duporth can take his winning strike rate to an ultra impressive near 40 percent from 15 starts.

Either of the stablemates will likely to be set for a spring country feature, or a Saturday Highway, if they conquer the Black Mountain climb on Friday.

And almost as if the stars were aligned, Extravagant Lad, with Blaike McDougall aboard, and Mogo Magic (Pierre Boudvillain) drew alongside each other just past the middle of the line in a final field of 12.

The local hopes may well rest with grand old grey sprinter Fangela who resumes for the Keith Dryden and Libby Snowden stable.

The eight-year-old is fresh from a tough and consistent prep where he won consecutive Open Federal races here, as well as placing in the feature Flat Knacker (900m) at Albury and a BM 72 (1100m) at Warwick farm run on a bog track.

In typical “Uncle Keithy” fashion, Fangela returns without publicly trialling, although he still has a task jumping from the outside barrier under a big weight.

Another eight-year-old Goulburn visitor, Pokerjack from the Tash Burleigh yard, can also drive into the finish coming back from a solid closing effort in a deeper BM 78 at Rosehill, although he will need a tonne of speed up front to allow him to get over the top.

Rival local Take The Rap, a lightly raced four-year-old in the Norm Gardner camp, drew the inside fourth-up; while another home tracker Starlight Girl, a five-year-old mare trained by Matthew Kelley, returns for her first run since late March having won two spaced trials both here and at Warwick Farm.

While the $100K bonus on offer for a track record is likely to be untroubled in soft going, this year’s Black Mountain threatens to be a major sprint form-line heading deep into spring.

My TAB Federal Black Mountain Tips:

1. EXTRAVGANT LAD

2. Pokerjack

3. Mogo Magic

4. Take The Rap

5. Fangela

GOOD LUCK

NEIL EVANS