Australia: Casino Mondial gets weight break in Grafton Cup

A seven-pound break in the weights makes Casino Mondial an attractive starter in Sunday’s Grafton Cup for milers at Grafton Racecourse in Australia.

Casino Mondial, a winner of 6 of 18 starts, will carry 123 pounds, seven less than topweight Jazzland, who is rated as another leading contender in the field of 14. Trained by Michael Byers, Casino Mondial has won three of his last five starts. He was third by a half-length in the Wingham Cup at a mile at Taree Racecourse on June 5.

Mister Smartee, who will be a longshot, may set the pace, which helps Casino Mondial, Jazzland, and Cogliere, who was 10th against a tougher field in a handicap at Royal Randwick on June 20. The Grafton Cup will be the second start for Jazzland after a layoff of nearly six months.

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Jazzland won two handicaps at 7 3/4 furlongs and a mile last November and December. He was last of 12 in a six-furlong handicap at Randwick as a 20-1 outsider on June 20 but is better suited to this distance.

Cogliere was a game third in the Gunnedah Showcase Cup Handicap at a mile at Tamworth Racecourse on May 31, beaten only a half-length.

The Grafton program begins at 10:10 p.m. Eastern, or 7:10 p.m. Pacific, on Saturday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

There are two notable jump races at Warrnambool Racecourse, which has an eight-race program that begins at 9:35 p.m. Eastern, on Saturday.

Bit of a Lad, the winner of the Australian Steeplechase at 2 7/16 miles at Ladbrokes Park on May 24, and Michelin, second in a handicap hurdle at 2 1/8 miles on the same race card, lead a field of 10 in the Thackery Steepchase at about 2 1/8 miles. Michelin returned to win a maiden for steeplechasers on June 16.

Ladbrokes Park is also known as Sandown Racecourse.

Georgethefifth, who fell as the 2-1 favorite in the Australian Steeplechase, but won a handicap chase at Warrnambool at 2 1/16 miles on June 2, will be well-backed in the Thackery. He has won the last two races he has completed.

Gobstopper and Runaway, first and second in the Australian Hurdle at Ladbrokes Park on May 24, are two of the three leading choices in the Kevin Lafferty Hurdle at two miles.

Gobstopper later finished second in a handicap at 1 1/2 miles on the flat at 40-1 at Geelong Racecourse on June 12. Runaway was second at 3-5 in a handicap hurdle at two miles at Ballarat Racecourse on June 16.

Inayforhay, unbeaten in two starts in hurdle races, both at Warrnambool, will have his stakes debut over obstacles in the Lafferty.