Australia: Heavy turf shouldn’t hamper Flash Flood in Canterbury handicap

Flash Flood is not only of the favorites to win a handicap at 6 1/4 furlongs at Canterbury Park in Sydney, Australia, on Thursday, he may be the hunch play of the season.

The areas around Sydney have been inundated with rain in recent weeks, so much so that evacuations have taken place for thousands of area residents.

The Canterbury Park program was relocated from Warwick Farm Racecourse in recent days after Warwick Farm received more than 11 inches of rain in a seven-day period ending Tuesday.

Flash Flood, a 4-year-old gelding, has won 3 of 10 starts. Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Flash Flood won a seven-furlong handicap at Warrnambool Racecourse on May 4 that was appropriately run on heavy turf. Flash Flood was fourth by 4 1/2 lengths at 10-1 in a handicap at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse on June 4 against a tougher field of runners than he will face at Canterbury Park.

Not surprisingly, the forecast at Canterbury is for showers and a heavy turf course. Flash Flood has won 2 of 3 starts on heavy turf in his career.

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Flash Flood tends to run as a stalker and is likely to be in pursuit of expected pacesetter Snitzonfire, a winner of 3 of 8 starts. Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Snitzonfire was fifth of nine in a six-furlong handicap at Canterbury on June 22 in his first start since January, beaten four lengths.

Snitzonfire, a slight favorite in early betting Tuesday, should benefit from the recent start. A 3-year-old gelding, Snitzonfire won his first three races at distances ranging from 5 1/2 furlongs to seven furlongs last September and October.

Flash Flood and Snitzonfire are part of a field of eight in the fifth of seven races on a Canterbury Park program that begins at 10:50 p.m. Eastern, or 7:50 p.m. Pacific, on Wednesday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.