Australia: Audette goes for four in a row in Muswellbrook handicap

The Australian filly Audette won her first three starts in rapid succession from mid-March to mid-April in sprints ranging from five furlongs to about 6 1/2 furlongs.

Even with the success, her official handicap rating has risen modestly, putting the filly in a good position for a fourth win in a handicap for fillies and mares at 7 3/4 furlongs at Muswellbrook Racecourse on Friday.

Audette will be tried at a new distance and against a better class of runners at Muswellbrook. She certainly has an advantage in weight assignments. Audette will carry 125.6 pounds, far below topweight Sequana at 136.6 pounds. Audette may not have such an advantage in future handicaps if she continues to display the late rally that has carried her to the front in her first three starts.

Trained by Kylie Gavenlock, Audette will be ridden by Andrew Gibbons, who has been aboard for all three wins. In each race, Audette closed from the back or from a stalking position to reach the front in the final strides.

By The Factor, Audette is part of a field of eight in the fourth of eight races at Muswellbrook. The program begins at 10:35 p.m. Eastern, or 7:35 p.m. Pacific, on Thursday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

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Audette will be a strong favorite and will be in pursuit of Zelady Luck, a winner of 2 of 5 starts for the powerful stable of trainers Adrian Bott and Gai Waterhouse. Zelady Luck was last of nine in the Group 3 James Carr Stakes at seven furlongs for 3-year-old Southern Hemisphere fillies at Royal Randwick Racecourse on April 16, but has races earlier this year in minor handicaps that leave her in contention. Zelady Luck is expected to set the pace.

Tawfiq Lass is a threat from off the pace. She was eighth of 16 in a restricted stakes at seven furlongs at Randwick on April 9 for horses from smaller stables based in the countryside of the Australian state of New South Wales.

Tawfiq Lass, another closer, won a handicap at about 6 1/2 furlongs at Muswellbrook in February in her only start at the track.