Australia: Concrete has interesting foe in Byblos Boy
The Australian-bred gelding Concrete ended an 18-race losing streak over a similar number of months with a victory in a six-furlong handicap at Quenbeyan Racecourse on Nov. 22.
A Southern Hemisphere 5-year-old, Concrete has an excellent chance to win again after a very short layoff in a five-furlong handicap at Sapphire Coast Racecourse on Monday, if he can beat the resurgent 11-year-old Byblos Boy.
Concrete has won 5 of 33 starts, with wins ranging at distances from 4 1/2 to six furlongs. His best chance Monday is arguably as a pacesetter, a style that worked at Queanbeyan, a small venue not far from the capital city of Canberra. Sapphire Coast is located on the Tasman Sea, well south of Sydney.
Concrete breaks from post 4, which should be a favorable draw.
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Byblos Boy is a fascinating contender who began racing in July 2014 and has won 9 of 52 starts.
Byblos Boy has won three of his last four starts since mid-October, all at five furlongs. He won a handicap at Sapphire Coast on Oct. 17, finished 10th at Canberra on Oct. 23, won a handicap at Canberra on Nov. 3 and returned six days later to win at Queanbeyan on Nov. 9.
This seems to be Byblos Boy’s time of year. From late November 2019 to early January of this year, Byblos Boy won three of four starts. A seven-time winner at five furlongs, Byblos Boy can win from the front or from off the pace.
The handicap is the fourth race on a seven-race program that begins at 11:50 p.m. Eastern, or 8:50 p.m. Pacific, on Sunday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
Concrete and Byblos Boy are part of a field of nine. Joe Cleary trains Concrete and also starts Hard Core, a gelding who finished third in a handicap at five furlongs at Queanbeyan on Nov. 22 in his second start after a layoff of more than three months.
Apprentice jockey Hannah Williams rides Hard Core. She began riding in October and had her first winner at Wagga Wagga Racecourse on Saturday.