WINNING CHANCES FOR US ON THURSDAY

Day and night runners for us today with Thunder Peak at Wangaratta and then Cutting Loose and Opoho Dreaming at Pakenham.

Thunder Peak is in race one at Wangaratta, the 3YO Fillies Maiden with Lachlan King riding.

The daughter of Vancouver finished runner-up to La Mexicana at her only start and Mike Moroney is expecting a winning start to this campaign.

“It’s her first run after a long break but I’m really happy with her and I can’t fault her,” Moroney said.

“Her fitness levels are good enough for this shorter trip, she’s drawn a little awkwardly in barrier seven but having had a look at the form of the opposition I’m expecting her to win.”

Cutting Loose is in race two at Pakenham, the Maiden over 1400m with Michael Dee in the saddle and to jump from barrier five.

“He’s finally drawn a decent barrier and I’m expecting him to show some improvement off a plain first-up run,” Moroney said.

“He’s done well from that and we’ve scratched a couple of times due to poor barriers so he gets a chance to show us something tonight.

“I’d say we will take advantage of the barrier and ride him forward and I’m expecting a much better run from him. It does not look the greatest of races and I certainly give him an each-way chance.”

Opoho Dreaming (pictured) is in race eight, the benchmark 64 handicap over 1400m with Jake Noonan to ride from barrier five after scratchings.

The Tavistock mare disappointed last time out at Ballarat as favourite after winning at Kyneton on a soft track.

“She won on a soft track and then found it a bit firm last start,” Moroney said. “That’s all we can put it down to as her work leading into it had been good.

“She strikes a soft track tonight, her work has been good and she’s drawn to get a nice run on speed so a repeat of her Kyneton win should have her right in this.”