Goulburn races Monday: Matthew Dale and Dolce Bella chase home-town success

Dale hoping to find new-season sweet spot at home

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By Neil Evans

Leading home-track trainer Matthew Dale is eyeing off an important double strike at Monday’s feature Goulburn meeting.

With only one runner having gone around so far a week into the new racing season, the Dale camp is treating this program as a real second-up springboard for two runners he hopes will go on to bigger and better things through late winter and early spring.

Seemingly one of the better placed gallopers on the card, lightly raced four-year-old Sebring mare Dolce Bella looks very hard to beat in a maiden plate over 1300m.

After doing her best work late from near last first-up in a handy maiden at Wagga, the return home from a softer draw where she can settle closer shapes as the ideal recipe for an emerging galloper who has started at short odds in all three runs since mid-January.

Dolce Bella is also pushed out a further 100m in distance, continuing a path that can provide a planned trip to metropolitan company over a mile or further deeper into the prep.

Then in the next race — a benchmark 58 handicap over 1600m — the Dale yard saddles up former Victorian six-year-old Jaffastock for only his second start in NSW since transferring up from the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable.

A son of prolific Kiwi staying sire Tavistock, Jaffastock did next to nothing from the back first-up for 25 weeks in a deeper grade at Moruya.

But he is expected to improve sharply ahead of his first run on the much bigger home track over 175m further, and 24 days between runs, with blinkers being added.