Australia: $1.1 million Cadre du Noir looks to end losing streak

For a colt purchased for $1.1 million as a yearling at Keeneland in 2017, Cadre du Noir still has much to prove.

Cadre du Noir began his career in England, where he had one win in five starts in 2018 and 2019. Cadre du Noir was shipped to Australia after a fourth-place finish in a handicap on the synthetic track at Kempton Park outside of London last October.

In Australia, Cadre du Noir is winless in two starts in the last five weeks, but ran well enough on Aug. 8 to suggest a five-race losing streak can end in a handicap at 1 1/2 miles on the Lakeside course at Sandown on Wednesday.

Sandown Park also is known as Ladbrokes Park.

Cadre du Noir, owned by Phoenix Thoroughbreds and trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, was second by a head at Flemington on Aug. 8 in a race at 1 1/4 miles. He is expected to be favored in a field of 11 at Sandown on Wednesday.

Crimson Ace, third in the Aug. 8 race, is another leading runner Wednesday.

First post time on the Sandown program is 10:25 p.m. Eastern, or 7:25 p.m. Pacific, on Tuesday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

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Cadre du Noir, by War Front, is a half-sister to Parranda, who was a multiple stakes winner in the United States and a Group 1 winner in Singapore in 2015. Parranda, who was trained in Southern California by Jerry Hollendorfer for much of her career, earned more than $2.2 million.

At Sandown, Cadre du Noir will carry 133 pounds, sharing topweight with Meteor Light, a 7-year-old Irish-bred gelding. Meteor Light won a handicap at 1 1/2 miles on the Lakeside course at Sandown on July 8.

The Maher-Eustace partnership starts another contender in Light Pillar, who was beaten a head in a handicap at 1 1/2 miles on the Hillside course at Sandown on Aug. 12. The Hillside course finishes on an outer course in the stretch at Sandown, while the Lakeside course finishes on an inner course in the stretch.