Australia: Frankly Savvy ends layoff with 7-furlong Scone handicap

Frankly Savvy kept fairly good company when she finished third as the even-money favorite in a seven-furlong handicap at Canberra Racecourse in Australia last September.

Runner-up Proven Class won two of her next three starts. Liberty Fields was beaten in her next three starts, and was second in two handicaps in February.

Frankly Savvy will start for the first time since the race at Canberra in a seven-furlong handicap at Scone Racecourse in the state of New South Wales on Monday. The handicap, which drew a field of 14, is a race Frankly Savvy can win.

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Trained by the partnership of Adrian Bott and Gai Waterhouse, Frankly Savvy has had only two starts, including a win in her debut in a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs at Canberra last August. Typical of many Bott-Waterhouse horses, Frankly Savvy has ample speed and could set the pace.

Light of Uluru and Casino Kid have more recent form that will be attractive for bettors.

Light of Uluru was second by a nose in a seven-furlong handicap at Mudgee Racecourse on Feb. 28 in her first start since August. A winner of 2 of 10 starts, Light of Uluru tends to run from off the pace and has experience at Scone, having won a handicap there at 6 1/2 furlongs last June.

Casino Kid was fourth in two starts in handicaps at six furlongs in February and earlier this month, closing with interest in each race. A longer trip at Scone should be a benefit.

The Scone program begins at 10:45 p.m. Eastern, or 7:45 p.m. Pacific, on Sunday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

ALL-STAR MILE RECAP

Mugatoo fought off a sustained challenge from Russian Camelot to record a 7-1 victory in Saturday’s $3.85 million All-Star Mile at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne.

The All-Star Mile, the world’s richest one-mile race, had a field of 15 determined by a vote of racing fans.

Mugatoo, ridden by Hugh Bowman for Kris Lees, won by a half-length, closing from eighth in the final half-mile. Bowman moved Mugatoo off a rail position and between horses in early stretch to collar 3-1 Russian Camelot, who closed from behind the winner through traffic and appeared to lead for a few strides in early stretch.

Behemoth (14-1) finished third, beaten 3 3/4 lengths. Probabeel, the 5-2 favorite, finished 12th after a less-than-deal trip in which she raced between horses and failed to make any impression in the final half-mile on a rain-soaked soft turf course.

Mugatoo, a 6-year-old Irish-bred gelding by Henrythenavigator, has won 9 of 18 starts, racing in England and Australia. In England, Mugatoo won two minor races at Lingfield and Doncaster in 2018 and 2019.

Sent to Australia in the winter of 2019-20, Mugatoo has won five stakes, including two Group 3 races. The All-Star Mile was not a group-level race because of its qualification format.

Russian Camelot, a 4-year-old Irish-bred colt, won two Group 1 races in 2020 in Australia. The All-Star Mile was Russian Camelot’s first start since an eighth-place finish in the Melbourne Cup in November.