Australia: Extra distance should suit Battle Guardian in Tuncurry-Forster Cup
Battle Guardian, a 5-year-old gelding, was one stride away from a win in the Taree Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Taree Racecourse in Australia on Nov. 21, closing from eighth in a field of 10 to lose by a nose.
Monday, Battle Guardian starts in a longer race, in the Tuncurry-Forster Cup at 1 5/16 miles at Tuncurry Racecourse, located on the coast well north of Sydney.
Battle Guardian is part of a field of 12 in the marathon race, the sixth race on a seven-race program that begins at 9:40 p.m. Eastern or 6:40 p.m. Pacific on Sunday. Wagering is available through DRF Bets.com.
Trained by Mark Stewart, Battle Guardian has been in good form in the last month, having won a handicap at 1 3/16 miles at Kempsey Racecourse on Nov. 5. The victory ended an eight-race losing streak since mid-April.
Battle Guardian has had a busy year. The Tuncurry-Forster Cup will be his 16th start of 2021.
Real Time Warrior, a 7-year-old gelding, has had only five starts this year. Real Time Warrior has won two of his last three races, including a 100-1 upset in the Country Classic at 1 1/4 miles at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney on Nov. 5, a race restricted to horses trained by stables based outside of Sydney-area tracks.
Real Time Warrior, trained by Joanne Hardy, won a handicap at 1 1/8 miles at Gosford Park on Oct. 7 for his first win since October 2020. Similar to Battle Guardian, Real Time Warrior runs from off the pace.
By comparison, Oakfield Captain, also a 7-year-old gelding, tends to run closer to the front, and will start at a new distance in the Tuncurry-Forster Cup. Trained by Damien Lane, who shares a name with a famous Australian jockey, Oakfield Captain is winless in 17 starts, but was second by a neck in the Coonabarabran Cup at Coonabarabran Racecourse at mile in October.