Australia: Coming Around starts anew in Mildura Cup
Since Coming Around extended his winning streak to three races in early February, the 4-year-old Australian-bred gelding has been transferred from trainers Grant and Alana Williams on the West Coast of Australia to Brett Stanley in the Victorian countryside, north of Melbourne.
Grant Williams recently moved several leading runners from his stable near Perth to Stanley’s base Victoria in preparation for major stakes in that part of the country in coming months. Those horses will run for Williams.
Coming Around was sent to Stanley a few months ago and will race for the first time for Stanley in the Mildura Cup at 6 1/2 furlongs at Swan Hill Racecourse on Friday. This will be the first start for Coming Around away from Western Australia, where he has won 5 of 13 starts in his career.
The winning streak comprises races at seven furlongs at Ascot in Perth. In each victory, Coming Around was a heavy favorite and raced as a stalker or closer.
In the Mildura Cup, which is run under handicap conditions, Coming Around is part of a field of 14 and will carry 123 pounds, seven pounds less than topweight Rich Itch.
Regan Bayliss, who rode in Hong Kong in 2019 and returned to Australia earlier this year, has the mount for the first time.
Stanley also starts the 7-year-old gelding Red Alto, who will be a longshot in his first start since January. Red Alto, a Group 3 winner in 2018, has been more effective in longer distances. He is best known in Australian racing for winning a handicap at 1 1/2 miles for Stanley at Royal Randwick in August 2018 in a nine-horse field in which all the other runners were trained by Chris Waller.
Friday, Coming Around’s main rivals appear to be East Indiaman and Tatunka.
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East Indiaman, a winner of 4 of 18 starts, has not raced since a 12th-place finish at Flemington Racecourse in December.
Tatunka, who is quick enough to lead, was second in a seven-furlong handicap at Caulfield on July 11, a two-length loss that ended a three-race winning streak in handicaps at distances ranging from six to seven furlongs.
First post time at Swan Hill is 10:30 p.m., Eastern, or 7:30 p.m., Pacific, on Thursday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.