Australia: Course experience gives Halo Warrior edge in Barlens City Handicap

Course experience may boost Halo Warrior when the 5-year-old gelding makes his sixth career start at Albury Racecourse in Australia in Thursday’s Barlens City Handicap at about six furlongs.

Halo Warrior has won 3 of 5 starts at Albury, including a six-furlong handicap on Feb. 10. Nine days later, Halo Warrior was only ninth of 16 in a regional qualifier for a lucrative stakes in April at Wagga Wagga Racecourse.

Halo Warrior is trained by Donna Scott, who is based at Albury. Scott also starts the outsider Oamanikka in the 14-runner Barlens City Handicap, which is part of a seven-race program that begins at 10:35 p.m. Eastern or 7:35 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Halo Warrior drew post 5, which should suit his stalking style in what appears to be a competitive field.

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Calascent, the winner of a six-furlong handicap at Canberra Racecourse on Feb. 25, figures to be a slight favorite. Calescent drew post 9 and is likely to take the lead under apprentice jockey Julia Presits. A 5-year-old mare, Calescent has won two of her last three starts, strengthening her credentials.

The 4-year-old filly Delacour and 6-year-old gelding Major Time should be well-placed as stalkers.

Delacour may not be ideally suited to the distance. Trained by Norm Gardner, Delacour has won 6 of 21 starts, with five of the wins at five furlongs and one at 5 1 2/furlongs. Delacour is winless in three starts at six furlongs, having finished third, beaten slightly less than a half-length, in her most recent start at the distance in September.

Major Time won a six-furlong handicap at Canberra on Jan. 21, but is winless in his last three races, all second- and third-place finishes at six furlongs. In each of those losses, Major Time set the pace or raced as a stalker. Brodie Loy, who won aboard Major Time in 2019, has the mount in the Barlens City Handicap from a favorable draw in post 6.