Australia: Cliff House needs to overcome wide draw

The lightly raced 5-year-old gelding Cliff House faces the most difficult task of his career from a wide draw in the Panorama Handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Bathurst Racecourse in Australia on Saturday evening.

Cliff House has won three of four starts this year against lower classes of handicap runners than he will face in the Panorama Handicap, which will have a full field of 14.

A winner of 4 of 8 starts, Cliff House drew post 14, but may move to the inside, pending late scratches.

Trained by Tim Donnelly, Cliff House has an American-influenced pedigree. He is by the New Zealand-bred stallion Starcraft and is out of Wild Mia, a minor stakes winner for trainer Tom Proctor at Hollywood Park in 2011 who later placed second or third in three graded stakes in Southern California in 2012 when trained by Jerry Fanning.

Wild Mia later raced in Australia before she was bred.

Cliff House tends to run from off the pace, and will need a good trip to win the Panorama Handicap, the last of eight races on a program that begins at 11:15 p.m. Eastern or 8:15 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Cliff House’s wins this year have ranged in distances from seven furlongs to a mile at Wagga Wagga and Royal Randwick racecourses.

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Molly Nails and Wizard of Oz will be shorter prices than Cliff House.

Molly Nails is winless in three starts since a victory in a six-furlong handicap at Rosehill Gardens in July. The losses have come in tough handicaps at 5 1/2 furlongs and six furlongs at Rosehill Gardens and Randwick, including a third-place finish on Aug. 12. Molly Nails has won at seven furlongs and can be a factor at 6 1/2 furlongs in the Panorama Handicap.

Wizard of Oz won a six-furlong handicap from slightly off the pace at Randwick on Sept. 2, but was eighth in a seven-furlong handicap there on Sept. 16 after setting the pace. He has won from the front and figures to be prominent in this big field.

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