Australia: Brimm might be lone speed in handicap at Ballarat
The 5-year-old mare Brimm looks in a good spot for her first start of the year, a seven-furlong handicap at Ballarat Racecourse in Australia on Sunday.
Brimm is part of a field of 10. There are questions about how Brimm will perform in her first start since November, and there are issues surrounding several of the other runners. At least Brimm has a favorable weight assignment of 123 pounds, part of which is jockey Alana Kelly’s apprentice claim.
Brimm is the first of four mounts on the Ballarat program for Kelly, and she can end a lengthy drought for the apprentice, who is winless with her last 50 mounts through Friday. She has 44 career wins.
Trained by Richard Cully at Ballarat, Brimm has won 3 of 9 starts in a career that began in 2017. In her final start of 2019, Brimm was beaten a nose in a one-mile handicap at Moonee Valley at 4-1 after setting the pace, her customary style.
In Sunday’s race, Brimm is one of two mares and the only runner in the field that typically races near the front.
Stealthy Lucas, the 138.8-pound topweight, is returning from a six-month layoff. He won the Ararat Cup at 1 1/4 miles at the racecourse of the same name on Nov. 10 last year before finishing 10th of 14 in his final start of the year in a handicap at Ballarat on Nov. 23.
Stealthy Lucas is winless in two starts at seven furlongs in his 16-race career, which includes four wins.
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The distance should suit Ammoudi Bay, the winner of a seven-furlong handicap as the 2-1 favorite at Bendigo on May 3. Ammoudi Bay, a winner of 4 of 16 starts, raced as a stalker that day. The same tactics were not as successful when the 5-year-old Ammoudi Bay finished fourth of 10 in a handicap at Bendigo at a mile on May 17.
First post time at Ballarat is 10:30 p.m. Eastern or 7:30 p.m. Pacific on Saturday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
Ballarat Racecourse is located northwest of Melbourne.