Upwardly Mobile can continue rise to get the cream at Scone
By Neil Evans
A progressive local mare with her best still in front of her is out to lower the boom on a rival three-year-old when they clash at Monday’s Scone meeting.
On an improving track still likely to be in heavy range, Upwardly Mobile gets her chance to take the biggest step of her career in a competitive Class 2 Handicap over 1250m.
Local trainer Rodney Northam sends round Upwardly Mobile at Scone today.Credit: Getty
The four-year-old daughter of versatile sire Divine Prophet in the Rodney Northam stable is still something of a work in progress, despite showing intermittent potential since her second win back in late January.
That day, she narrowly won a Benchmark 58 over 1200m after being backed from $3.70 into $3.00. But it didn’t all go to plan after that.
Upwardly Mobile flashed home to be beaten a nose next start at Tamworth before again doing her best work late in a CL2 at that track in early March.
But then came a setback when she was eased right out of a tougher BM 66 here well before the turn after a vicious storm hit the track and saw the official rating tumble from a Soft 6 to a Heavy 10 in less than an hour.
She was later found to have suffered cardiac arrhythmia and was immediately spelled.
Yet it may have provided a silver lining, with Upwardly Mobile trialling nicely before returning 25 days later with a strong finishing unplaced effort in a deep BM 58 over 1100m at Dubbo.
And connections have found a nice follow-up race back at home, with leading jockey Reece Jones taking over in the saddle.
Standing in her way is rival local Salvito, a lightly raced gelding in the Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich yard who is out to make it two straight wins a fortnight after easily claiming his maiden as a hot favourite at Muswellbrook.
An exciting son of prolific Shalaa, Salvato opened clear favourite despite drawing wide, and has already proven he’s right at home on wet tracks.
Upwardly Mobile, though, could provide one half of a winning double for the Northam stable who earlier saddle up capable mare Sebilla in a BM 58 handicap over a mile.
Also by Divine Prophet with Jones riding, Sebilla looks well-placed after a strong closing effort in a Class 2 at Dubbo when having her first run for nearly two months, and three outings prior in much tougher Saturday Highway company.
Supplied by Racing NSW
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