Australia: Andreini tries to keep streak alive in York Cup

At the age of 9, Andreini accomplished a career first in October in Australia by winning consecutive starts for the first time.

A winner of 9 of 53 starts, Andreini will attempt to win his third consecutive race in the York Cup at 1 3/16 miles at York Racecourse in the state of Western Australia on Sunday.

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The distance is a good fit. Andreini won the Moora Cup at 1 1/8 miles by 3 2/3 lengths at Moora Racecourse on Oct. 10 and the Collie Cup at 1 1/4 miles by nearly nine lengths at Collie Racecourse two weeks later. Collie, Moora and York racecourses are not far from the coastal city of Perth.

Jessica Gray rode Andreini in the Moora Cup for trainer Darryn Pateman and has the mount in the York Cup, which drew a full field of 11. Gray is likely to have Andreini in a stalking position.

Andreini will carry 120 pounds, the minimum weight in the race and well below topweight McKenzie Brooke at 132 pounds in the handicap conditions of the York Cup.

McKenzie Brooke, a 5-year-old gelding, is winless in his last six starts, but was second by a little more than a length in a handicap at 1 3/8 miles at Ascot Racecourse in Perth on Oct. 24. McKenzie Brooke led in the stretch and was beaten a length by 2-1 favorite Double Digit.

The York Cup is a drop in class for the 10-year-old gelding Push to Pass, who was sixth of 10 in the listed Northam Cup at a mile on Oct. 24, but a more competitive second in a one-mile handicap at Ascot when beaten a length at 40-1.

York has a nine-race program that begins at 11:43 p.m., Eastern, or 8:43 p.m., Pacific, on Saturday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.