Australia: Gentleman Max, Gunga Din meet again in Narrandera Cup

The Narrandera Cup at tiny Narrandera Racecourse in Australia on Sunday will be the fourth meeting in the last year between the geldings Gentleman Max and Gunga Din.

Their career paths leading to the one-mile race could not be more different.

Gentleman Max, a 7-year-old Australian-bred, will have his 122nd career start and 12th race of 2020 on Sunday. Apparently, Gentleman Max thrives on activity.

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Trained by Trevor Sutherland at Wagga Wagga Racecourse, not far from Narrandera, Gentleman Max was third in a seven-furlong handicap at Wagga Wagga on June 5, a race in which Gunga Dun was fifth. Gentleman Max had finished seventh two days earlier in a race at Canberra.

Gentleman Max followed the third at Wagga Wagga with a win in a one-mile handicap at Albury Racecourse on June 15, a fourth-place finish in a handicap at Albury on June 29, and a second in a handicap at Wagga Wagga on July 6.

Gunga Din, a 4-year-old Australian-bred, will have his 17th career start on Sunday, and second race since June 5. Trained by Keith Dryden, Gunga Din was third in the minor Narooma Cup at about a mile at Moruya Racecourse on June 26. Somehow, Gentleman Max missed that race.

Both Gentleman Max and Gunga Din tend to run from off the pace and are part of a field of 10 in the Narrandera Cup, which is run as a handicap.

Gentleman Max and Gunga Din met for the first time last October when Gunga Din won a one-mile handicap at Canberra in which Gentleman Max was ninth. On Nov. 9, Gunga Din was eighth with Gentleman Max 10th in a handicap at 1 1/4 miles at Rosehill Gardens.

The Wagga Wagga race was their first meeting this year. Both will be at the fore of the betting market in the Narrandera Cup. Gunga Din may go favored, although there will be ample support for Upper House, who was fifth in the Narooma Cup and won two handicaps in May.

The Narrandera program begins at 10:30 p.m. Eastern, or 7:30 p.m. Pacific, on Saturday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.