Australia: Holyfield takes swing at Carrington Stakes

Last Saturday, Holyfield finished second by a nose in the $728,000 Magic Millions Cup at Gold Coast Racecourse in Australia.

Holyfield is not staying in trainer Annabel Neashem’s stable for long.

Saturday, Holyfield makes a rapid turnaround in the $109,000 Carrington Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney where the 4-year-old gelding has an excellent chance to win his first stakes since August 2020.

Holyfield, who races from off the pace, has won 5 of 18 starts. In 2020, when trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Holyfield won two Grade 3 races. The narrow loss in the restricted Magic Millions Cup was Holyfield’s first appearance in a stakes since May. On Dec. 26, Holyfield won a lucrative handicap at seven furlongs at Randwick, his only win in eight starts last year.

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In the Carrington Stakes, Holyfield must beat Through the Cracks and Purple Sector, who are among several contenders in a field of 14. The Carrington Stakes is the eighth race on a 10-race program that begins at 8:25 p.m. Eastern or 5:25 p.m. Pacific on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

The Carrington is run under handicap conditions. Holyfield and Through the Cracks carry a light weight assignment of 118 pounds, while Purple Sector will carry 127.8, slightly less than topweight Special Reward at 130 pounds.

Through the Cracks, a winner of 7 of 18 starts, was third behind Prime Candidate and Special Reward in the Christmas Classic Stakes at six furlongs at Canterbury Racecourse on Jan. 7. Prime Candidate and Special Reward are part of the Carrington field and were 7-1 in early betting on Thursday. Prime Candidate is expected to set the pace in the Carrington.

Through the Cracks was the 7-2 favorite as of Thursday. Trained by Angela Davis, Through the Cracks is winless in three starts since a victory in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Newcastle Racecourse in November.

Purple Sector is winless in his last seven starts, but has been second in his last two races – a half-length loss in a seven-furlong handicap at Randwick on Dec. 18, and a loss by 1 1/2 lengths in handicap at 7 3/4 furlongs on the infield Kensington course at Randwick on Jan. 1.

In both races, Purple Sector raced from a stalking position.