Australia: Ashman can rebound at Murwillumbah on Sunday evening
For an eighth-place finish, Ashman was not beaten far in the Tamworth Cup in Australia on April 26, finishing 2 1/4 lengths behind Ligulate in the seven-furlong race.
The loss extended Ashman’s losing streak to four races, but the 4-year-old gelding has every chance to rebound against an easier group in an open handicap at 7 3/4 furlongs, or 1,550 meters, at Murwillumbah Racecourse on Monday.
Murwillumbah Racecourse, home of the Tweed River Jockey Club, has 11 racing days a year and is located south of Brisbane about five miles from the ocean. Similar to other racetracks currently in operation, Murwillumbah’s races will be conducted without spectators.
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First post time at Murwillumbah is 10:45 p.m. Eastern, or 7:45 p.m. Pacific, on Sunday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
Ashman, who is trained at Murwillumbah by Matthew Dunn, is part of a field of 12 in the Riverview Hotel Cane Growers Cup Open Handicap. Through Saturday, Dunn had won with three of his last 20 runners, including a minor stakes on Saturday at Royal Randwick with Snitz.
Ashman, will be ridden by apprentice jockey Emily Atkinson at 130 pounds. Atkinson rode a winner and had three second-place finishes from four mounts at Lismore Racecourse on Saturday.
A 4-year-old Southern Hemisphere gelding, Ashman has won 5 of 13 starts. He won a handicap at 6 3/4 furlongs at Ipswich Racecourse last October.
Ashman can lead or stalk the pace. At Murwillumbah, Ashman is likely to race from off the pace against rivals such as Melted Moments and Cool Prince, who can set the pace. Melted Moments is the 137.7-pound topweight.
Melted Moments was 11th in a handicap at 1 5/16 miles at Tamworth on April 26 and won handicaps at seven furlongs and about 7 1/2 furlongs in February and March.
This should be a favorable distance for Antilia, a 4-year-old mare who won twice in March in races at seven furlongs and about 7 1/2 furlongs, but was a disappointing seventh of 10 as the 2-1 favorite at seven furlongs at Grafton on April 27.
A closer, Antilia has a favorable weight assignment, carrying 122 pounds, but faces a tougher field than her recent opposition.