Australia: Flying Agent on a tear coming into Thackeray Steeplechase
Flying Agent is on a three-race winning streak in Australia that consists of a two-mile hurdle in April, a prestigious steeplechase at 2 1/8 miles in May, and a flat handicap at 1 3/8 miles in June.
Yes, Flying Agent can seemingly do it all, which is why he is the odds-on favorite to win Sunday’s $75,200 Thackeray Steeplechase at 2 1/8 miles at Warrnambool Racecourse.
An 8-year-old gelding, Flying Agent has won 2 of 3 career starts at Warrnambool, west of Melbourne. In his career, Flying Agent has won 9 of 33 starts and 6 of 13 starts over obstacles.
The current winning streak includes the Brierly Chase at 2 1/8 miles at Warrnambool on May 4. Flying Agent stalked the pace before taking the lead in the final quarter-mile, winning by 2 1/4 lengths as the odds-on favorite.
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Bit of a Lad, second in the Brierly, is part of a field of seven in the Thackeray, a race the 7-year-old gelding won in 2020. Bit of a Lad is winless in three starts since the 2020 Thackeray and fell in his latest outing, in the Australian Chase at 2 7/16 miles at Sandown Park in Melbourne on May 23.
Since that setback, Bit of a Lad was third of four in a schooling races for steeplechasers at 1 1/2 miles on June 24.
While Bit of a Lad has something to prove, The Dominator had success in jump races at this time last year, but is winless in four starts this year in flat races. This is the first jump race for The Dominator since a third-place finish in a two-mile chase last August.
Warrnambool has an eight-race program that begins at 9:40 p.m. Eastern, or 6:40 p.m. Pacific, on Saturday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
*Earlier on the program, Saunter Boy will be an odds-on favorite to win the $75,200 Kevin Lafferty Hurdle at two miles. Saunter Boy won the Australian Hurdle at two miles at Sandown on May 23, and was second in a flat handicap at about 1 9/16 miles at Flemington Racecourse on June 19.