Australia: Kissinger likely favorite at Ballarat

For his 2021 debut, Kissinger will start for the first time at Ballarat Racecourse in Australia in a one-mile handicap on turf on Sunday.

Kissinger, a New Zealand-bred 5-year-old gelding, has won half of his eight starts. He won a handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Warrnambool in October, and a handicap at 1 ¼ miles there in November. In between those races, he finished third in a tough handicap at Flemington Racecourse on the week of the Melbourne Cup, when every race at that track is competitive.

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The distance of the October win bodes well for Kissinger’s chances at Ballarat, where he figures to be a deserving favorite in a full field of 13.

Trained by Lindsay Smith, Kissinger will be ridden for the first time by Declan Bates. Smith and Bates often work together, and have won two races as a team in recent weeks.

The five-time winner Indispensable and four-time winner Robe Bay have run recently, and may have an advantage over Kissinger in that regard.

Indispensable was seventh of 15, beaten a little more than three lengths as the 5-1 favorite, in the Country Mile Handicap at Moonee Valley on March 13, a much tougher race than this handicap. On April 3, Indispensable was second by a length as the even-money favorite in a one-mile handicap at tiny Warracknabeal Racecourse.

Kissinger and Indispensable tend to run as stalkers, while Robe Bay is a closer.

Robe Bay, a 4-year-old Australian-bred mare, closed for fourth, beaten a length, in her lone start this year, a seven-furlong handicap at Bendigo on March 27.

An outsider who could play a role in exotic bets is the 5-year-old mare Mrs Sippy, who has been second in her last two starts, beaten a half-length in both starts.

The Ballarat program begins at 11:40 p.m., Eastern, or 8:40 p.m., Pacific, on Saturday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.