Australia: C'mon Mate may improve in second start vs. winners
C’mon Mate had a rude introduction to racing against winners when he finished fourth in a six-furlong handicap at Wyong Racecourse in Australia on July 15.
C’mon Mate broke slowly and raced in tight quarters in the stretch before finishing slightly less than three lengths behind the winner.
The loss should serve as a learning experience for C’mon Mate’s seven-furlong debut in a first-condition handicap at Kembla Grange Racecourse on Wednesday evening, his seventh career start.
Trained at Kembla Grange by Ross McConville, C’mon Mate will be ridden by Shaun Guymer, who was aboard the gelding for a win in a six-furlong maiden race on July 1. C’mon Mate closed from fourth in a field of nine to win by a length as the 2-1 favorite.
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For Wednesday evening’s race at Kembla Grange, C’mon Mate was the 7-2 second choice in early betting behind Skylight Song, who is winless in his last six starts but has been second in his last two races.
Skylight Song was second against a slightly tougher class of handicap runners in a race at 6 3/4 furlongs for male horses at Wyong on July 15, closing from fourth to lose by a length as the 5-2 favorite. Despite the recent losing streak, Skylight Song does have a consistent record of finishing well.
C’mon Mate and Skylight Song are part of a field of 10 in the fifth race on an eight-race program that begins at 10:20 p.m. Eastern or 7:20 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
C’mon Mate and Skylight Song will both carry top weight of 129 pounds, slightly more than Modern Millie at 127.8. Modern Millie was assigned 134.4 pounds, but the booking of apprentice jockey Benjamin Osmond reduced the weight.
Modern Millie, 6-1 as of Tuesday, finished sixth by 2 1/4 lengths in a handicap for fillies and mares at 6 3/4 furlongs at Wyong on July 15 in her first start since January.
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