Luksol favoured for two straight wins

Franking her previous losing rally against SISTREN TREASURE, LUKSOL returned February 25 to easily beat CHAMPION BUBBLER at five furlongs straight with 117lb, the exact weight she will carry in a bid for back-to-back wins out the chute with Reyan Lewis on Sunday.

LUKSOL's only issue could be the inside draw, made worse with erratic TAURUS BOY next to her in stall two. Should TAURUS BOY get up to his new-found antics when the gate opens, swerving into LUKSOL's path, her race will be over with fit and strong closers - POWER RANKING and PRESS CONFERENCE - enjoying the benefit of the track bias from stalls seven and nine, respectively.

Though more effective on the round course as middle-distance closers, POWER RANKING and PRESS CONFERENCE are versatile, having won at the distance against fading speedsters.

However, a clean break and trouble-free run towards mid-track should have LUKSOL overcoming the track bias. If she enters the main track with a comfortable lead, she should use class to out-finish the closers at five furlongs straight.

Since sputtering home fifth behind YELLOWSTONE on her seasonal debut, LUKSOL has twice run big races to prove her January 15 effort was a fluke worth throwing out the window, giving her the benefit of the doubt from post-position one.

After her inexplicable fifth-place run, weakening rapidly along the rail approaching the home turn, LUKSOL returned a day under two weeks to run a monster race at the exact trip, beaten by a short head by SISTREN TREASURE, following a mighty battle on the lead with TALONA for five furlongs.

SISTREN TREASURE, who stalked the battling pair, pounced wide of LUKSOL inside the final half-furlong, narrowly winning in 1:07.4. The time was only a fifth slower than YELLOWSTONE's 1:07.3, which had LUKSOL eight and a quarter lengths behind 13 days prior, suggesting something had gone awfully wrong that afternoon.