Canberra contingent set to dominate Sapphire Coast program

Fresh from a successful Community Chest meeting at home, Canberra racing is ready to celebrate an achievement of a different kind ahead of Monday’s action on the Sapphire Coast.

A staggering 35 of the original 88 accepted runners on the program are from Canberra, a record haul of 40 per cent from the one training base for an away meeting in NSW.

Racing returns to the Sapphire Coast on Monday.Credit: Daniel O'Brien

It’s a day when punters could easily be mistaken for watching a meeting at Thoroughbred Park rather than on the far South Coast.

Naturally, many of those visitors from the capital dominate betting across a wide open meeting.

And it’s no surprise to see heading the raid is the evergreen and longtime “Baroness of Bombala”, who has long called Canberra home.

Barbara Joseph, along with Paul and Matt Jones, aren’t about to finish the year with a whimper, eyeing up a string of strong chances.

With Barbara celebrating 50 years as a licensed trainer, the team accepted with a very healthy eight runners across the seven-race card.

Certainly, there’ll be a tonne of confidence around resuming four-year-old Bombelleistic, who hasn’t raced since mid-June but finds a very winnable Benchmark 58 handicap over 1400m.

Drawn well, Bombelleistic opened around $3.20 as favourite ahead of rival Canberra mare Cosmic Ride ($4.80) from the Luke Pepper yard, which has a team of six heading south.

Earlier the Joseph-Jones team debuts Dawn On Me, a filly by Brutal, in a very competitive Maiden Plate over 1000m to open the card.

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Canberra stables have a big hand in the race, with well-touted filly Voltage Lass for trainer Danielle Seib and gelding Chillero from the Todd Smart yard also having their first start.

They’re at it again in the second race, with five of the eight runners in a BM 66 Hcp over 1000m from Canberra.

The Seib camp unleashes consistent five-year-old Hellinda, who is shooting for a third win from his last four starts, while the Joseph-Jones stable saddles up six-year-old mare Princess Halo fourth up, while Natalie Jarvis presents improving mare Noctua also well into her prep.

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