Scone preview: Singleton chasing Scone double on Monday

Hawkesbury Guineas-winning trainer Scott Singleton can start the week with a double at his home track when Kimberley Moon and Brief Song step out in their respective races.

Trainer Scott Singleton has two good chances at Scone on Monday.

Trainer Scott Singleton is cautiously optimistic his first starter Kimberley Moon can kick off her career on the same winning note as her dam ended hers when she steps out at Scone on Monday.

Kimberley Moon wears the same cerise and blue spots as her mother In Hindsight, who won four of her 10 starts in country New South Wales including her final appearance at Moree on the same day Tivaci won the All Aged Stakes at Royal Randwick.

Singleton’s mare is In Hindsight’s second foal and was bred and raced by Amanda Murray (and others).

“We have taken our time with her and she is ready to be at the races,’’ Singleton said.

“She just missed the start a little bit in her first trial so we took her to Tamworth and gave her another one and she did a lot more right there and it seems to have screwed her down a little bit more since then and she gets to the race in pretty good shape on Monday.

“She is the sort of filly that I don’t know if she is any world-beater but she has certainly given us all indications that it is not going to take us long to win a race with her.’’

Kimberley Moon’s dam came from last to win one of her two starts on Soft ground while her sire Stratum Star was more effective on Good tracks than ‘bad’.

What that means for Kimberley Moon’s chances of negotiating the rain-affected going at Scone on Monday in the Newgate Country Boosted Maiden Plate (1100m) remains to be seen.

“We have had plenty of wet ground to be working on lately and she hasn’t ever given us the indication that she is no good on it,’’ Singleton says.

“Raceday is obviously different than trackwork and trials but I think she will get through it alright.’’

That goes double for stablemate Brief Song who opens her 2024/25 campaign in the Coolmore Class 1 & Maiden Plate (1600m).

It’s a tight one in the opener at @thebrookracing!

Brief Song and Seasons Of Mist hit the line together, with Brief Song the winner!@MitchStaplefordpic.twitter.com/zx8inO8VRU

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 21, 2024

“She loves the wet,’’ Singleton said.

“I wouldn’t think she would be completely out of a race like that one on Monday. She’d be a top four hope I would suggest without being overly confident.”

Brief Song combines the perfect mix of speed and stamina.

Her sire, Your Song, was a five-length winner of the 2013 Group 1 BTC Cup (1200m) while her dam, Madam Juror, was a Singleton-trained stayer.

“Her mother won at Newcastle over 2300m so I think the further Brief Song goes, the better,’’ he says.

Brief Song, a fourth generation descendant of the Tait family’s Flight Stakes and Silver Slipper winner Fiancee, was set aside after winning a 1750m Maiden at Muswellbrook at just her third career start on April 8.

“She kept improving every run and just learning all the time as much as when the distances got a little bit further, that suited her at the same time,’’ Singleton explained.

“This time she has come back and trialled much better, she is a big stronger.

“She handled the prep very easily so I definitely expect her to be a better horse this prep.

“She will be better when she gets up towards 2000m and probably beyond.

“(The) Problem with those Highways is they stop at 1800m but if she can run a bit of a journey, there are always races around against the same horses most of the time and they chip away and win their races.’’

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Theobold has Ultra good chance at Bathurst

Ultra White gets the win in a tight finish!

Jake Pracey-Holmes in the saddle for Paul Theobald. pic.twitter.com/DmUWfI6Svt

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 19, 2022

Local trainer Paul Theobold aims to take out the last two races at his hometown card at Bathurst on Monday via a direct descendant of a Melbourne Cup winner and a close relative of two Golden Slipper winners.

Theobold’s aptly-named grey mare Ultra White steps out for her 31st start on Monday and her 12th at Bathurst.

Ultra White has placed four times at home, three of them seconds.

Better still, given the Heavy 10 track rating, Ultra White has shown herself capable, even excellent, on rain-affected ground.

On top of all that, Theobold’s six-year-old mare looked as spritely as ever in her 1000m hit-out at Bathurst on July 30.

“She trialled really well,’’ the trainer said ahead of Ultra White’s tilt at the JB Civil Concreting Country Boosted Benchmark 58 (1100m).

“And she has finally drawn a good barrier so hopefully she can take some advantage out of that.’’

Ultra White’s Cup connection traces back seven generations to Rainbird who carried the featherweight of 47.5kg (equivalent) on the first Tuesday in November in 1945.

Her stablemate Never Bird, meanwhile, can boast a Golden Slipper on her family tree; two in fact.

Her fourth dam is Very Droll whose mating with Danehill in the spring of 1998 resulted in the 2001 Slipper winner, Ha Ha.

Never Bird’s sixth dam is Rory’s Rocket who as her name suggests is the mother of Colin Hayes’ flashy chestnut Rory’s Jester, one of Hall Of Famer Ron Quinton’s four Golden Slipper winners.

Never Bird has a tidy CV of one win and five placings from her 10 career starts.

Among them were third placings at Gosford and Wyong respectively when housed with Kristen Buchanan.

The mare’s present PB came on March 1 when she scored a comprehensive two-and-a-half length win at the Sunshine Coast for her most recent previous trainer, Jack Bruce.

Never Bird has raced twice for Theobold, starting with a brave second at Cowra on July 13 with 62kg on board.

“I thought it was an excellent run,” Theobold said. “She hit the front on the corner and she couldn’t go with it because of the big weight.

“There weren’t many races around for her so she ran over 1800m here at her next start. She’s back to 1400m on Monday – there weren’t any options for her and to be race-fit, you have to race.

“She has drawn wide but she is going to be back a little but anyway, hopefully she can slot in midfield.’’

Originally published as Scone preview: Singleton chasing Scone double on Monday