Australia: Introvert not unbeatable in Port Macquarie handicap

Introvert may be a favorite to oppose in a handicap at 1 1/4 miles at Port Macquarie Racecourse in Australia on Thursday evening.

Introvert will start at the distance for the first time in his 13th start after mixed recent performances. Introvert won consecutive races at about 1 3/16 miles at Ballina Racecourse earlier this year – a maiden race on March 30 and a first-condition handicap on April 13 – but was only sixth of 10 in a handicap at 1 3/8 miles at Grafton Racecourse on April 30.

At Grafton, Introvert took his customary position at the front, faced pressure midway through the race, and faded late to lose by nearly 4 3/4 lengths.

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At Port Macquarie, the 4-year-old Introvert is part of a field of eight and could face an early challenge from contenders Polished and Strobing, or the longshot mare Rahaan.

All of those runners are racing in tougher company at Port Macquarie than they have faced in recent starts.

Any sort of duel would compromise Introvert’s chances. He was the 2-1 favorite as of Wednesday.

Strobing, 5-2 on Wednesday, won a minor handicap at 1 3/16 miles at tiny Kempsey Racecourse on April 25 and was a good second by a head against tougher rivals in a one-mile handicap at Taree on May 8 after setting the pace.

Honour Me, who will carry top weight of 127.8 pounds, can be a factor as a stalker. A winner of 4 of 42 starts, Honour Me is winless in 13 starts since a handicap at 1 3/8 miles in March 2022.

A 6-year-old, Honour Me was second by 3 3/4 lengths in a handicap at 1 3/8 miles at Grafton Racecourse on April 18, the gelding’s best result in four starts this year.

Port Macquarie has an eight-race program beginning at 10:15 p.m. Eastern or 7:15 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.