Australia: Gold Rhapsody figures short price in Gosford Racecourse handicap

Gold Rhapsody, the 4-year-old Southern Hemisphere filly, is a neck away from a three-race winning streak.

After consecutive wins at Port Macquarie and Taree Racecourses in April, Gold Rhapsody could not catch Crackneck in a five-furlong handicap on May 8 at Coffs Harbour, just missing at odds of 5-2.

It would be no surprise if Gold Rhapsody was a shorter price in a five-furlong handicap at Gosford Racecourse, north of Sydney, on Thursday.

Gold Rhapsody is part of a field of 13 in the seventh and final race on the program. First post time is 10:35 p.m. Eastern, or 7:35 p.m. Pacific, on Wednesday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Trained by Margaret De Gonneville, Gold Rhapsody will carry 131 pounds, slightly less than topweight Dual Escape at 132 pounds. A 6-year-old mare, Dual Escape is winless in five starts and was third in his last two appearances.

The highest-rated male runner is Rambler Rebel, who will carry 130 pounds. A 4-year-old gelding, Rambler Rebel is light on recent experience, having finished eight of 12 in a handicap at 4 1/2 furlongs on May 9 at Newcastle in his first start since October.

Rambler Rebel is likely to set the pace. He led throughout a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Scone Racecourse in August 2019 for his third career win. Thursday’s race is Rambler Rebel’s 12th start.

The most unexposed runner in the field is the promising 3-year-old filly Salina Dreaming. A winner of 2 of 3 starts, she was third in her debut in March 2019 prior to a win in a five-furlong race at Port Macquarie a month later.

Salina Dreaming did not start through the remainder of 2019. In her 2020 debut, at Muswellbrook Racecourse on May 1, Salina Dreaming closed from third in a field of nine to win by 2 3/4 lengths as the 4-5 favorite. She could be well-supported Thursday, and be a threat to more experienced runners such as Gold Rhapsody and Dual Escape.