Australia: Gentleman Max makes 126th career start in the Cootamundra Cup

For his first 123 starts, Gentleman Max, the 8-year-old gelding who races in Australia, was trained by Trevor Sutherland.

Gentleman Max was transferred to trainer Keith Dryden in August after Sutherland was suspended by stewards in the state of New South Wales over animal welfare issues. Gentleman Max was third and sixth in his first two starts for the new stable in handicaps at Canterbury Park on Sept. 9 and Sept. 23.

Gentleman Max will have his third outing for Dryden, and 126th start, in Sunday’s Cootamundra Cup at a mile at Cootamundra Racecourse in the Australian countryside. The Cootamundra Cup will be Gentleman Max’s 16th start this year. He won a one-mile handicap at Albury in June and a seven-furlong handicap at Wagga Wagga on Aug. 9 in what was his final start for Sutherland.

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The Cootamunda Cup is the seventh race on an eight-race program that begins at 10:55 p.m. Eastern, or 7:55 p.m. Pacific, on Saturday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Gentleman Max is not the oldest runner in a field of nine. Carluca, a 9-year-old gelding, will have his 61st start in the Cootamundra Cup. Carluca has been fourth or fifth in his last five starts since February and is winless in six starts since a handicap at 6 3/4 furlongs at Wyong Racecourse in January.

The 6-year-old youngster Trapper Tom has the sharpest recent form, having won two of his last four starts. He was second by 1 3/4 lengths in a handicap at seven furlongs at Canberra Racecourse on Sept. 18.

Those runners are likely to be in pursuit of Contaminated, a 6-year-old gelding who tends to run near the front. Contaminated was fifth of 10 in a handicap at seven furlongs at Kembla Grange on Aug. 29 in his first start since March and should benefit from that start in this second race after a layoff.