Australia: Footlights takes next step in Victoria Derby Preview at Flemington

Footlights, the 3-year-old New Zealand-bred colt, is not far from his stakes debut judging from the results of his first two starts in Australia and expectations for his appearance in an allowance race at 1 1/8 miles at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on Wednesday.

Footlights is nominated to stakes as soon as early October, pending his Wednesday race at Flemington in the Victoria Derby Preview for 3-year-old colts and geldings. The Victoria Derby will be run on Oct. 30 at the start of the Melbourne Cup carnival.

Footlights won his debut in a seven-furlong maiden race at Cranbourne Racecourse on Aug. 15 and was second by 1 1/2 lengths in a handicap at a mile there on Sept. 2 after a rocky trip in which he was bumped in the stretch.

Luke Currie was aboard for those races. Damien Oliver has the mount in the Victoria Derby Preview, which will have a maximum field of 13.

Trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, Footlights figures to one of the leading choices, along with Invernell, who won his debut in a maiden race at about seven furlongs at Sale Racecourse on Aug. 22.

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Currie rides Invernell, who was previously ridden by Jamie Kah, the leading rider at Melbourne area tracks in the 2020-2021 season that ended in late July. Kah is currently suspended through late January for a recent violation of the strict coronavirus lockdown restrictions in the state of Victoria. Kah said she plans a court appeal in an effort to reduce the penalty, according to recent reports.

Flemington has an eight-race program, beginning at 11 p.m. Eastern, or 8 p.m. Pacific, on Tuesday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

In the race prior to the Victoria Derby Preview, Barb Raider will be an odds-on favorite to win her second consecutive start in the Kennedy Oaks Preview, a prep for the Kennedy Oaks at Flemington on Nov. 4.

Barb Raider, trained by Jerome Hunter, needed three races to achieve her first win, doing so in a handicap at a mile for 3-year-old fillies at Sandown Racecourse on Sept. 8.

The Kennedy Oaks Preview is run at 1 1/8 miles and drew a field of 13, including 11 maidens. Aside from Barb Raider, the only runner with a victory is Gonnadancealot, who won a handicap at 1 1/8 miles for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds at Flemington in July when ridden by Kah.

Oliver has gained the mount for this race.