Australia; Kovalica back against Group 1 on short rest

A week after finishing a game third against older males in a Group 1, the New Zealand-bred gelding Kovalica is back against Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds in the Group 1 Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm Racecourse in Brisbane, Australia, on Friday evening.

Kovalica was beaten slightly less than 1 1/4 lengths by the multiple stakes winner Huetor in the $660,800 Doomben Cup at 1 1/4 miles on May 20, closing from ninth to be closest to the front at the finish.

A start in the $651,200 Queensland Derby at 1 1/2 miles will be Kovalica’s third race in a month, and first career try at the distance. He won the Group 2 Queensland Guineas at a mile at Eagle Farm on April 29.

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Trained by Chris Waller, Kovalica was 3-5 in early betting on Thursday, a short price considering he is part of a field of 18. Kovalica has won 5 of 8 starts, including the Group 3 Grand Prix Stakes at 1 5/16 miles at Eagle Farm last December.

The gelding Promises Kept, second in the Group 1 South Australian Derby at 1 9/16 miles at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide on May 13, should have no trouble with the distance. He is likely to race closer to the front than Kovalica, who typically runs from off the pace.

The Queensland Derby is one of two Group 1 races on a nine-race program at Eagle Farm that begins at 9:43 p.m. Eastern or 6:43 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

The Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup at 6 1/2 furlongs is a more open race than the Queensland Derby.

Giga Kick, the current top sprinter in Australia, is currently being rested for a campaign later this year, but some of the runners who finished behind him in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 Stakes on May 13 are part of the field for the $651,200 Kingsford Smith Cup.

A Case of You and Vilana were fifth and seventh in the Doomben 10,000 and are rated as contenders for the Kingsford Smith Cup, along with Rothfire, who won the Group 2 Victory Stakes at six furlongs at Eagle Farm on April 29 in his last start.

Rothfire has won 6 of 11 career starts at Eagle Farm, but was fourth in the 2022 Kingsford Smith Cup. Of the leading contenders in the Kingsford Smith Cup, Rothfire tends to run closer to the pace.

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