Australia: Huffington steps up in handicap

Huffington has compiled an attractive record of three wins in four starts racing at some of Australia’s smaller venues.

Friday, Huffington will have her debut at a more prominent track – Flemington Racecourse, home of the Melbourne Cup – in a five-furlong handicap. Huffington will start in outstanding form, having won two starts at five furlongs since mid-December after a layoff of more than seven months.

Trained by Philip Stokes, Huffington led throughout a handicap at Bairnsdale Racecourse on Dec. 16, prevailing by 3 1/2 lengths, and closed from fourth to win a handicap at Cranbourne on Jan. 8, winning by 1 1/4 lengths.

Friday’s handicap drew a strong group of 13 and will have a safety limit of 12 starters. Huffington, a 4-year-old Australian-bred filly, rates as a top contender along with Modear, Sapphire Crown, and Deep Dive.

Modear, who is expected to be favored, has started twice at Flemington this month against better groups of runners than she will face Friday. A 4-year-old filly, Modear was fifth in a six-furlong handicap on Jan. 1 behind Riding the Wave, who was third in the W.J. Adams Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse on Tuesday. Modear was later third in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs on Jan. 16 at Flemington.

Sapphire Crown, a 4-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding, has won 2 of 5 starts, but has not raced since a fifth as the 3-2 favorite in a handicap at Sandown Racecourse in September. Both of his wins were at 5 1/2 furlongs in May and July.

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Deep Dive, a winner of 3 of 8 starts, has not started since he faded to finish 11th of 12 in a six-furlong handicap at Geelong as the 2-1 favorite in September. Deep Dive tends to run near the front. He won consecutive starts as a stalker at Geelong and Morphettville in July and August.

The eight-race Flemington program begins at 11:30 p.m. Eastern, or 8:30 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.