Trainer hopes for home track advantage

Trainer Brent Larsson is hoping a step down in class and a return to her home track will fire up Army Miss when Melbourne Cup festivities hit the Bunbury Turf Club today.

The seven-year-old mare struggled for form in her last spell — a four-start metro campaign — with her best outing coming when sixth of nine in the Mortgage Gallery Handicap (1000m) at Belmont Park on September 12.

Army Miss will jump from gate six in the Summit Homes Handicap (1100m) today and had been due to hold topweight status with 59kg.

The winner of $78,909 from 35 starts, including six wins and 13 placings, will have her chances assisted by the 3kg claim of apprentice jockey Rayne Nielsen.

Army Miss had a barnstorming first year of racing, with four wins and six placings in 11 starts after breaking her maiden status.

She might also benefit from the addition of blinkers to her racing gear.

Meanwhile, Peter and Matthew Giadresco-trained gelding Chorus Boy is unlikely to sneak under punters’ radars for a second time at Bunbury when he contests the Australind Pre-Mix/S.&J. Excavations Handicap (1200m) from barrier nine with Glenn Smith in the saddle.

The four-year-old raised eyebrows at the first meeting of the season when he turned last but rumbled home to win his first ever start by a short head, paying a juicy $46.30 on the tote in the process.

‘‘It was a very good run from him last start, we are looking forward to see if he can go up in the grades,’’ Matthew Giadresco said.

Chorus Boy is one of eight gallopers from the Giadresco stable in action today.

He will likely face stern opposition from four-year-old gelding Bustabill, prepared by Michael Lane.

Bustabill made a bright start to his spring campaign when second by half a length to Iseethingsyoudon’t at Ascot on October 20. Another coming into peak fitness, according to Matthew Giadresco, is three-year-old gelding Scoparocket who will be searching for improvement in a field full of trial form in the Rovers Superior Metal Products Maiden (1100m).