Australia: Canberra Cup good fit for Entente

Until he finished last of eight in the Group 3 Geelong Cup in Australia on Oct. 21, Entente was in peak form for the top training operation of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.

Entente won consecutive starts at 1 3/16 miles and 1 1/4 miles in September and early October. After the loss at Geelong, Entente was rested in the final months of 2020.

On Monday, after a fair second in the Canberra Mile on Feb. 21 in his first start of 2021, Entente will start favored at Canberra Racecourse in the Canberra Cup at 1 1/4 miles. The timing and the distance should be a good fit for the 4-year-old gelding.

Entente is part of a field of 14 in the eighth race on a nine-race program that begins at 9:10 p.m. Eastern, or 6:10 p.m. Pacific, on Monday.

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The Waterhouse-Bott team have two starters, including topweight Hush Writer, who has not raced since a last-place finish in the Group 3 Hotham Handicap at 1 9/16 miles on Oct. 31. Hush Writer will carry 129 pounds, while Entente is next on the list at 119 pounds, the minimum weight.

Entente tends to run near the lead or as a stalker and will be ridden by Tim Clark, who was aboard for the wins in September and October.

Dadoozdart and Aussie Nugget have good form that give them solid chances in the large field.

Dadoozdart has run primarily in stakes in the last months, often in competitive races. Dadoozdat was fourth in his last appearance at 1 1/4 miles, against a better field than the Canberra Cup, in the Group 2 Hill Stakes at Royal Randwick in October.

A 5-year-old gelding, Dadoozdart is winless in eight starts since arriving from Ireland in early 2020. Dadoozdart was a minor stakes winner in Ireland.

Aussie Nugget, a 5-year-old Irish-bred gelding, began his career in Europe, but was winless in three starts there in 2018 before being relocated to Australia. Aussie Nugget won a one-mile handicap at Caulfield Racecourse on Jan. 30 and was fourth in Victoria Cup at Caulfield on Feb. 21, beaten 1 3-4 lengths.

Defibrillate, who won the Victoria Cup, was sixth in the Group 1 Australian Cup at Flemington on Saturday.