Horse Racing

This Thursday Canterbury Park Racecourse will light up the night as it hosts its much awaited Canterbury BMW Classic Night Race meeting, headlined by the $100 000 Listed Canterbury BMW Classic (1100m).

The exciting sprint event has a quality line-up of just nine runners, with the Gai Waterhouse-trained Group 1 placegetter Bank Robber gaining the most support with the punters and bookies. Heavyweight hoop Blake Shinn is engaged to ride the five-year-old son of Dash For Cash, allotted the maximum weight of 61kgs in the event, from barrier three.

The Peter Snowden-trained Pinwheel is the other top pick having displayed excellent recent form winning four of his last six starts, the final three in succession, and is currently sitting as second favourite in the pre-race betting markets. The four-year-old Lonhro gelding also boasts the best career strike rate out of the nine starters, an impressive 66.7%; and with a 100% place strike rate punters would be mad not to put at least a Place bet on this one. Pinwheel has drawn on the far outside with barrier nine, his only drawback, and will have Corey Brown aboard.

Meanwhile Hadaaf, trained by Joseph Pride and due to be ridden by Peter Robl, has secured the inside running starting from gate one.

Current third-favourite in the Classic is the Con Karakatsanis-trained News Alert, looking to make a comeback following an injury-related scratching from the Carrington Stakes at Randwick on New Year’s Day. News Alert, carrying the second heaviest weight of 56kg, has barrier four for the event and will be ridden by Hugh Bowman following the suspension of Jim Cassidy.

As the only night racing venue in Sydney, Canterbury Park is sure to be filled to the brim in its second twilight meeting this season; the next is scheduled for January 28.

The Canterbury BMW Classic is race five on the evening’s seven-race card due to jump at 9:00pm (NSW time).

2010 Listed Canterbury BMW Classic Final Field & Barrier Draw: