Muswellbrook previews: Consesus is for a Consenza win

Scott Singleton’s blue-blooded Consenza has raced well in successive Benchmark 82s at her past two starts and will appreciate a drop in grade at Muswellboork on Tuesday.

Trainer Scott Singleton has some good chances at Muswellbrook on Tuesday.

A drop in class and a surge in form has blue-blooded mare Consenza ready to do proud a famous set of colours at Tuesday’s Muswellbrook meeting.

Owned by members of the dynastic Kelly family, Consenza’s white, black and red silks have been worn by a host of well-credentialed gallopers – none more so in recent times than Ron Quinton’s Coolmore Classic winner Peeping.

Consenza has a Group 1 connection of her given her third dam is Mannerism, whose four majors included a Caulfield Cup and AJC Oaks.

Despite her royal-lineage, Consenza was snapped up at the Inglis February 2024 Online sale for just $15,000.

“She was bought specifically as a broodmare but she will certainly win races for the next couple of months until she goes to stud,’’ her admiring trainer Scott Singleton said.

“She will make a magnificent broodmare – I’d love to have her, I think she will throw beautiful foals.’’

• Ray Thomas’ Blackbook: Horses to follow and forgive from Randwick on Saturday

Consenza’s CV currently reads as two wins and three placings from her 13 starts, the past two of which were her only starts so far under the new management.

Both of them were eye-catching thirds in Benchmark 82s at Scone at Tamworth respectively.

“I have been pretty happy with her first two runs,’’ Singleton said.

“She just seems to be building towards something and I feel like she is in winning order if all the cards fall right for her.’’

Consenza’s Tuesday assignment is the Horsepower Handicap over 1280m at Benchmark 66 level.

“She is just a little bit tricky because she has only won the two races but because she won a town race, her country rating is 70 and she’s run in two 82s so she’s been running out her grade and run really well,’’ Singleton explained.

“I suppose she to has to lump a little bit of weight there on Tuesday in a 66 but she would certainly be right in a race like that.

”She just needs to get the right run and things to pan out right for her.’’

• Saturday big bets review: $20,000 bet goes under awry in the last

Singleton meanwhile is naturally eager to see what Muswellbrook-bound debutant Yacht Girl can deliver when she steps out in a 1000m two-year-old handicap.

“I am pretty happy with her,’’ the trainer remarked.

“I didn’t give her hard trials, I sort of educated her and she’s shown us enough to think that she’d be pretty competitive first time out.

“She has got a degree of ability and is the sort of filly that is definitely going to win races.”

Yacht Girl is a daughter of international multiple Group 1 winner Merchant Navy out of Miranda Jane, a Lismore 1300m maiden winner herself.

“Yacht Girl is a big filly for a two-year-old and the sort of filly that wouldn’t shock if she ran a cheeky race first time out.

“She has got a little bit of a future I think.’’

A Billy Cray ride, Yacht Girl has been saddled with barrier 16 (less any scratchings), a fact that hasn’t unduly fazed Singleton.

“I don’t think so because you’re just around the one corner and they are going to get some rain tonight (so) they’ll be getting to the middle of the track anyway so I don’t mind it actually, the more I think about it in my own head,’’ he said.

There is every chance that stablemate Fiorsum Fred will be saved for a much bigger engagement than his proposed Tuesday assignment, with Singleton aiming for a crack at the Grafton Guineas on July 17.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Muswellbrook is fine, but other tracks? Forbidden

Forbidden Palace wins at Muswellbrook way back in 2020. Picture: Bradley Photos

Forbidden Palace shares his bloodlines with Phar Lap and once shared a racecourse with Winx – and his trained Stephen Gleeson is giving the horse some final chances to stir up a boilover.

The flashy son of Not A Single Doubt has his 22nd Muswellbrook start on Tuesday in which will be his 47th overall appearance.

“He just doesn’t seem to want to go a yard anywhere else, especially nowadays that he is older,’’ Gleeson said.

It’s a fact borne out in the horse’s CV; both of his rare career wins and six of his eight placings have come at Muswellbrook.

Despite his affinity with his home-track, Forbidden Palace was a $51 chance to take out Tuesday’s TAB.com.au Benchmark 58 (1000m).

“I think it was Muswellbrook over the 1000m once before first-up, he only just got beat,’’ Gleeson says.

“He’s jumping around like a young horse so hopefully mentally he wants to still put in but we’ll find that out on Tuesday.’’

Forbidden Palace has won nigh on $80,000 for Gleeson, a healthy ROI on the $4,250 he outlaid for the chestnut at the 2019 October Online sale.

“I have had him since he was a late two-year-old. He arrived here from Mick Price, I bought him as a tried-horse – he only had the one start,’’ says Gleeson.

That one start was in the 2018 VRC Maribyrnong Trial with Hugh Bowman in the saddle.

Horse and rider crossed the line in last – a few hours later, Bowman was at the business end aboard Winx in her Turnbull win.

“Forbidden Palace is a family horse, my son and wife own him with myself,’’ Gleeson explained.

“He’s just a likeable horse that is good to do anything with. We enjoy keeping him around while we can.

“He is a character but he’s got a good temperament.’’

Forbidden Palace is also incredibly well-bred. His tenth dam is Entreaty, forever remembered as the mother of Phar Lap.

Such is their love and regard for Forbidden Palace, Gleeson is adamant when the horse retires, he will be retired from racing.

“I’d love to see him go to a good home and to someone who will look after him like we have,’’ Gleeson said.

“I think he would be perfect for dressage or even a show horse.

“We’ll give him at least this run and maybe another one at Muswellbrook and if he doesn’t want to do it anymore then that will be it but he’ll let us know.”

Originally published as Muswellbrook previews: Consesus is for a Consenza win