Australia: Dark Euro's versatility gives him slight edge

Dark Euro was the 80-1 outsider in a field of nine when he nearly pulled a massive upset at Grafton Racecourse in Australia on Nov. 18, closing from seventh to miss by a nose.

The narrow loss will have the attention of bettors when Dark Euro starts in a seven-furlong handicap at Coffs Harbour Racecourse on Wednesday evening across American time zones.

Dark Euro, a winner of 5 of 35 starts, was the 5-2 co-favorite in early betting as of Tuesday along with Rose Bouquet.

Trained by Fleur Blanch, Dark Euro will start at Coffs Harbour in his third race following a four-month layoff. A 7-year-old gelding, Dark Euro was last of five in his comeback in a six-furlong handicap at Gold Coast Racecourse on Oct. 29, a loss that explains his long odds at Grafton.

:: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for Australian racing

Dark Euro won as recently as May, in a seven-furlong handicap at Inverell Racecourse. In his career, Dark Euro has won three times at 6 1/2 furlongs and twice at seven furlongs.

The race at Coffs Harbour is a slight class drop for Dark Euro in the handicap division, while Rose Bouquet is facing a higher class of handicap runners than her win in a seven-furlong handicap at Ballina Racecourse on Nov. 11.

The victory ended a 16-race losing streak since July 2021. In that period, Rose Bouquet finished second or third in 10 races, including a second by a half-length in a one-mile handicap at Coffs Harbour in August.

Rose Bouquet tends to run as a stalker, while Dark Euro is versatile. He led throughout his win in May, and closed from off the pace at Grafton earlier this month. Ashley Morgan rode Dark Euro in his May win and regains the mount. Morgan rode briefly at Santa Anita in October, going winless with seven mounts.

Race conditions also fit Gobbled, who won consecutive starts in handicaps at 6 1/2 furlongs at Coffs Harbour in September and at six furlongs at Tamworth in October, but was fourth in two starts in sprint handicaps earlier this month. In those losses, Gobbled was beaten about three-quarters of a length and slightly more than three lengths.

Gobbled figures to be prominent in the running against Dark Euro and Rose Bouquet.

The one-mile handicap is the first of eight races at Coffs Harbour on a program that begins at 9:15 p.m. Eastern or 6:15 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available at DRFBets.com.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.