Australia: Front Page in strong form for handicap at Wangaratta Racecourse

Front Page, the 3-year-old Southern Hemisphere gelding, has been the subject of good news for his backers in the last few months.

A winner of 2 of 4 starts, Front Page is unlucky not to have three wins, having lost a handicap by a nose in early March.

The success has its ramifications. Front Page will carry joint top weight of 134.4 pounds when he starts in a handicap at about six furlongs Thursday at Wangaratta Racecourse.

Trained by Geoff Duryea, Front Page won a handicap at about six furlongs on May 20 at Albury Racecourse in his first start in two months. Sent off at 6-5, Front Page was always near the front and pulled clear to win by 9 1/2 lengths.

Thursday, Front Page starts from post 2 in a field of 12 and is likely to be near the front for jockey Lewis German, who has the mount for the first time. Jordan Mallyon, Front Page’s previous rider, is not riding Thursday.

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Front Page figures to be a short-priced favorite, but is not the only lightly-raced runner in the field with promise. Thursday’s race is the fourth start for the 3-year-old New Zealand-bred filly Beauty Betty, a winner of 2 of 3 starts.

Beauty Betty won a five-furlong handicap as the 3-2 favorite on the synthetic track May 18 at Ballarat Racecourse in her first start in two months. This will be her longest race, preceded by two five-furlong races on turf in February. Beauty Betty will carry 131 pounds.

The 53-race veteran Liberty Song, a 6-year-old gelding, carries 134.4 pounds. His recent form is not as sharp as that of Front Page, with eight losses since November 2019. Liberty Song did win a handicap at this distance at Wangaratta in June 2018, one of his three starts at the course.

The nine-race Wangaratta program begins at 10:30 p.m. Eastern, or 7:30 p.m. Pacific, on Wednesday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.