Australia: Ithicus may have edge in Sunday handicap

The lightly raced gelding Ithicus may have a slight edge thanks to a recent win and a tactical advantage in a five-furlong handicap at Orange Racecourse in Australia on Sunday evening across American time zones.

Ithicus won his second start in a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Narromine Racecourse on Nov. 15 and followed with a second by three lengths to pacesetter Jet Pack at 5 1/2 furlongs at Mudgee Racecourse on Dec. 2.

Ithicus, a 3-year-old trained by Brett Thompson, will start at five furlongs for the first time at Orange since a fifth-place finish in his debut at Dubbo Racecourse on Oct. 29. Thompson’s stable has been sharp this week, winning two of three races at Dubbo Racecourse on Friday.

:: DRF Bets members get FREE DRF Past Performances - Formulator or Classic. Join now!

Ithicus will carry 130 pounds against eight rivals at Orange. Castlebar Road, a leading rival, will carry topweight of 138.8 pounds, while other contenders such as Hiraishin (130) and Foxstorm (129) have weight assignments comparable to Ithicus.

Castlebar Road has not raced in 51 weeks, and has been campaigned sporadically in recent years, winning 2 of 7 starts. He won a maiden race at five furlongs and a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs in a span of 10 days at Dubbo Racecourse in June 2021.

Castlebar Road tends to set the pace, and is likely to be sharp for his comeback. That should suit Ithicus, who tends to run from a tracking position, even at short distances.

Hiraishin has won twice at five furlongs in his 12-race career, including a handicap in his most recent start at Muswellbrook in July in which he led throughout. If those two engage in any sort of speed duel, Ithicus could be well placed in the final quarter-mile.

Foxstorm has won twice at 5 1/2 furlongs in his career, including his last start at Narromine on Nov. 15 in which he closed from ninth in a field of 12.

Orange has a seven-race program beginning at 9:10 p.m. Eastern or 6:10 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.