Australia: Aperol Sprint plays the long game at Gosford
The 5-year-old Australian mare Aperol Sprint has won four times in her 25-race career, with each of the wins at 1 1/4 miles or longer.
Thursday at Gosford Racecourse, Aperol Sprint will start at 1 5/8 miles against males in the second race on an eight-race program.
Trained by Matthew Smith, Aperol Sprint approaches the race in solid form. After finishing second in a one-mile race on April 23 and second in a race at 1 3/8 miles on May 8, Aperol Sprint won a handicap at 1 7/16 miles at Muswellbrook on May 22. She closed from fifth in a field of nine to win by a nose as the 2-1 favorite.
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Aperol Sprint was 5-1 in early betting on Tuesday behind the Irish-breds Funambulist and Aquileon, who are both starting at this extended distance for the first time. The three leading contenders have all run well in extended races in recent starts.
Funambulist won a maiden race at 1 3/8 miles at Hawkesbury Racecourse in his sixth start on May 5, and was second by 1 1/4 lengths to Nyota as the 6-5 favorite in a handicap at 1 5/16 miles at Hawkesbury on May 19.
Nyota was 15th of 18 as a longshot in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm on June 4.
Funambulist, who tends to run from a tracking position, raced in France last year. This is his fifth start in Australia, all since early April.
Aquileon was third in a handicap at 1 1/2 miles at Warwick Farm on May 11, finishing 8 3/4 lengths behind the winner, Shameless Miss. Aquileon won a handicap at 1 7/16 miles at Newcastle in February, closing from seventh in a field of eight.
Gosford has an eight-race program that begins at 10:10 p.m. Eastern or 7:10 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.