Australia: Grand Crown tries 1 1/4 miles again in Casterton Foodworks Cup

Grand Crown had won two of his three preceding starts before a seventh-place finish in the richest race of his career, the $127,000 Gold Heath Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse in Australia on April 18.

Grand Crown was beaten 3 1/4 lengths as the 9-2 second choice in the race at 1 1/4 miles on turf, the longest race of his career. A 5-year-old gelding, Grand Crown will have another try at the distance in Sunday’s Casterton Foodworks Cup at Casterton Racecourse, far west of Melbourne in the Australian countryside.

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Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Grand Crown won handicaps at 1 1/16 miles and about 1 3/16 miles in February and March, leading through each race. The Maher-Eustace partnership has been in outstanding form this week, winning with 5 of 20 runners from Monday through Friday.

Grand Crown is part of a field of 12 in the Foodworks Cup. First post time at Casterton is 10:30 p.m. Eastern or 7:30 p.m. Pacific, on Saturday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Grown Crown will carry 126.7 pounds, well below topweight Strategic Demand at 134.4 pounds. An 8-year-old gelding, Strategic Demand has won 11 of 52 starts, but is winless in eight starts since the Great Western Cup Handicap at about 1 3/16 miles at the track of the same name in January 2019.

The weights work in favor of Under Oath, a 5-year-old gelding who won a handicap at 1 1/4 miles at Moonee Valley in February and a handicap at a mile at Bendigo Racecourse on May 3. Under Oath, who will carry 124.5 pounds, is expected to race as a stalker.

Trained by Henry Dwyer, Under Oath was favored in his last two starts and should draw support in this race even though this is a slightly tougher field than what he beat in his recent starts.

Dwyer had a winner at Friday’s meeting at Geelong Racecourse.