Australia: Class drop may put Rogue Bear over the top at Royal Randwick
A sharp drop in class may lead to a first win in Australia for the Irish-bred gelding Rogue Bear on the infield Kensington course at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on Tuesday evening.
Rogue Bear, a winner of 3 of 12 starts, has finished fifth and fourth in two handicaps at seven furlongs and 7 1/2 furlongs since early April, his first starts in Australia since he was sent to that country from Britain last year.
Rogue Bear was beaten 1 1/4 lengths in his Australian debut on April 5, when he ran in fifth for most of the race. He was beaten 2 1/2 lengths at Hawkesbury on April 22 after setting the pace.
The race at Kensington is run at seven furlongs, the third race on a seven-race program that begins at 10:50 p.m. Eastern or 7:50 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com
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Now trained by Kris Lees, Rogue Bear won three minor races in Britain in 2021. He was third in the 22-runner Lincoln Handicap at a mile at Doncaster Racecourse in Britain in March 2022, one of that country’s toughest early season races for flat turf horses.
In the race on the Kensington course, Rogue Bear will carry joint topweight of 130 pounds along with Sailor, an intriguing outsider. Rogue Bear’s original assignment was 136.6 pounds, but was reduced because of the presence of apprentice jockey Jasper Franklin, who has the mount for the first time.
Franklin has won with a highly respectable 10 of 50 mounts from Jan. 7 through Saturday.
Sailor, also trained by Lees, is winless in three starts since January, and was fourth by 2 3/4 lengths in a one-mile handicap at Warwick Farms on April 19, closing from 10th in a field of 13. He figures to be a threat from off the pace in this field.
King of the Castle, the winner of 3 of 13 starts, may be a slight favorite over Rogue Bear. King of the Castle, who will carry 125.6 pounds, was second by a little more than a length in a seven-furlong handicap on the Kensington course on April 25.
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