Ipswich hosts Cool Music's next challenge

The holiday racing spotlight falls on Ipswich in Queensland, where trainer Bryan Dais expects Cool Music to advance and reveal the ability he envisions for her future.

Carrying 60 kilos in benchmark 58, Cool Music looks set to strike as she moves down from midweek to provincial in Monday's Barrier Reef Pools Fillies and Mares Handicap (1350m) at Ipswich.

This five-year-old mare secured victory first-up at Warwick then placed second over 1350m at Ipswich on March 14.

A fourth at Eagle Farm on March 25 going 1600m and beaten by less than a length bolsters Dais's belief she can improve from barrier 11.

"I saw the original barrier and didn't worry too much about the rest of the field," Dais said.

"She jumped from the outside barrier here two starts ago and ran enormously.

"I think we ran the fastest 1000, 800 and 400 sectionals of the race."I took her to Warwick and that was mainly because of where her rating was at, and the perfect race to kick off her preparation."

An Ipswich placing in April 2025 was followed by a stable incident that kept Cool Music out for more than six months.

"She came back and was going ok but not where I thought she should be," Dais added.

"She then pulled a muscle and needed an extended spell but this time being back in work, I think she has come back to where she was as a three-year-old.

"At her fifth start at that age, she was already racing against open company at Eagle Farm."

Eight horses scratched from the event, leaving Cool Music a $6.50 shot with Our Jewel, prepared by David Vandyke, the $3.40 market leader.

Find the top racing odds on betting sites for the Barrier Reef Pools Fillies and Mares Handicap via Australian betting sites.