Australia: Bit of a Lad to end lengthy layoff in Briery Chase

Bit of a Lad is the 154-pound topweight in Tuesday’s $115,740 Briery Chase at Warrnambool Racecourse in Australia, a position earned because of his established form in steeplechases at this time last year.

The drawback is the lack of a recent start for the 7-year-old gelding. Bit of a Lad has not raced since July.

Run at 2 1/8 miles, the Briery Chase is the feature race on the first program of the three-day May carnival at Warrnambool, located west of Melbourne. The popular race meeting, which continues through Thursday, will have a limited ontrack audience this year, a change from 2020 when the race week was condensed to two days and held without customers in the early months of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Briery Chase drew a field of 12 and is the eighth race on a 10-race program that begins at 9:20 p.m. Eastern, or 6:20 p.m.. Pacific, on Monday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

:: Join DRF Bets and get ready to watch and wager on the Preakness with a $250 first deposit bonus

Bit of a Lad was fourth in the Grand Annual Chase at Warrnambool last May, the leading race of the week. Bit of a Lad later won the Australian Steeplechase at Sandown Racecourse in May 2020 and the Thackeray Chase at Warrnambool last July in his final start of the year.

Bit of a Lad is nominated to Thursday’s Grand Annual.

For his scheduled 2021 debut in the Briery Chase, Bit of a Lad had two schooling races, at 1 1/2 miles over hurdles on April 9 and at 1 3/4 miles over fences on April 23.

Bit of a Lad has course and distance experience. The Thackeray Chase was also run at 2 1/8 miles. Bit of a Lad raced near the front throughout and won by six lengths.

:: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for Australian racing

The heavy weight assignment and lack of a recent start could lead bettors toward the 8-year-old gelding Flying Agent, who will start in his richest chase in the Briery. A winner of 5 of 12 starts over obstacles, Flying Agent has started in three chases. Flying Agent won a maiden race in his second start in a chase last July, and later finished second in a handicap chase that month.

More recently, Flying Agent was fourth in a handicap at about 1 1/2 miles on the flat at Warrnambool on March 8, and beat four rivals in a two-mile handicap hurdle at Hamilton Racecourse on April 11.

Similar to Bit of a Lad, Flying Agent, who will carry 143 pounds, tends to run near the front.