Dubbo races Monday: Paul Clisby and Maryland Bridge ready to step up

By Neil Evans

He often plays the minor role behind bigger home track stables, but trainer Paul Clisby is licking his lips with a new stable star ahead of Monday’s feature Dubbo meeting.

On another strong and attractive betting card across big and competitive fields, promising filly Maryland Bridge is set to take another important step on an upward curve that could see her racing in country carnival or even metropolitan company soon.

The three-year-old daughter of group 1 winner Pariah tackles a class 1 handicap over 1308m a fortnight after a dominant second-start maiden win as a well backed and hot favourite. That day, Maryland Bridge clocked a faster time than the previous 1100m odds-on winner, highly touted Eagledge, despite not having the clearest of runs from the turn.

It came 17 days after she was narrowly beaten on debut at much bigger odds, but the Clisby camp knew they had an exciting one on their hands, and plans are well in place for how far she can go in late winter and even early spring.

Ironically, Maryland Bridge, with top country jockey Aaron Bullock naturally keeping the ride, competes in a class 1 sponsored by rival stable Clint Lundholm Racing, who have pinned their faith in progressive mare Lady Fraulein springing an upset, although well-bred filly Chestime also has claims coming off a last-start maiden win.

Meanwhile, in a strong feature benchmark 74 over 1018m, the leading home-track yards will be out to turn back a serious raid from visiting sprinters.

Lundholm saddles up returning six-year-old Activation for his first run since early last November, as well as improving five-year-old Beauchamp fourth-up this prep.

But also resuming off a 12-week break for the rival local Brett Robb stable is Boom Boom Basil. The tough five-year-old son of Foxwedge already has four wins from only 14 career starts, and is unbeaten from two runs over this distance.