Australia: Careering Away continues busy season as Orange Gold Cup longshot

Careering Away is not rated among the leading contenders for Friday’s Orange Gold Cup at 1 5/16 miles at Orange Racecourse in Australia.

But the 6-year-old Careering Away has a sequence of successful starts in longer turf races in recent weeks that make the gelding an attractive longshot in a field of 12.

Trained by Garry Lunn, who won with 8 of 50 runners from Jan. 11 through Sunday, Careering Away has had a busy 2021 season, winning 3 of 10 starts. He has not gone more than 15 days without a race this year, and seems to thrive on the activity.

Careering Away had three starts in March, winning a handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Cowra on March 1, finishing third in a one-mile handicap at Coonamble on March 16, and winning a handicap at 1 1/2 miles at Wellington on March 29.

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Earlier this month, Careering Away was third by 2 3/4 lengths in a handicap at 1 5/16 miles at Tamworth Racecourse. Careering Away has won 7 of 51 starts, and will have his debut at Orange in the Gold Cup.

Orange is a familiar course for leading contenders Renalot and Brown Thomas, who were first and third in the one-mile Orange Cup Prelude on March 21.

Renalot followed that win with a third in the Wellington Cup at 1 1/16 miles at Wellington on March 28.

Brown Thomas has not raced since March 21, and is winless in three starts since a handicap at 1 1/8 miles at Hawkesbury Racecourse last October. He was eighth in the 2020 Orange Gold Cup behind Reward Seeker, who was fourth in the Orange Cup Prelude. Reward Seeker won the Wellington Cup, but is not in the Orange Gold Cup field this year.

The Orange Gold Cup is a handicap. Dylan’s Romance is carrying top weight of 134 pounds.

Dylan’s Romance, an 8-year-old gelding, has won 11 of 70 starts, and was second in the Wellington Cup. This is his first start at Orange.

First post time is 10:55 p.m. Eastern, or 7:55 p.m. Pacific, on Thursday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.