Australia: Kruanui comfortable at Wagga Wagga
Kruanui, the 7-year-old Australian-bred gelding, is part of trainer Chris Heywood’s stable based at Wagga Wagga Racecourse. The venue is not only home for Kruanui, but the site of most of his success.
Kruanui has won 6 of 49 starts in his career and 4 of 26 starts at Wagga Wagga.
Those statistics make Kruanui an easy horse to support in a six-furlong handicap Tuesday at Wagga Wagga. As of Sunday, Kruanui was 3-1 in early betting in a field of 10.
Kruanui won consecutive starts on June 13 and June 20, the latter race at Wagga Wagga, before finishing second in a handicap by about 1 1/4 lengths on July 6 at Wagga Wagga when he carried joint top weight of 134.4 pounds. The assignment was reduced from 142 pounds because of the booking of apprentice jockey Heni Ede.
For Tuesday’s race, Kruanui faces a tougher field and will carry 134.4 pounds, third in the weights behind Falling Waters and Jaytee’s The Fox, joint topweights at 137.7 pounds.
Jockey Richard Hensley, who rode Kruanui on June 13 and June 20, has the mount. Hensley is likely to have Kruanui off the pace behind expected leaders Funky Farm and Hazel’s Diary.
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Falling Waters, a three-time winner at six furlongs in her 33-race career, has raced at Albury Racecourse in her last eight starts since joining trainer Norm Loy last November. Loy is based at Albury.
Falling Waters, a 5-year-old mare who races as a stalker, was 14th in her only previous start at Wagga Wagga in May 2019. For Tuesday’s race, Falling Waters will be ridden by Brodie Loy, the son of the trainer. Brodie Loy has ridden Falling Waters to three wins in the six times he has ridden the mare this year.
This is the first start since February, and second since December, for Jaytee’s the Fox, a 4-year-old gelding trained at Wagga Wagga by Scott Spackman.
Jaytee’s the Fox, who won a one-mile handicap at Wagga Wagga last September, was 11th of 16 against tougher rivals in a lucrative seven-furlong handicap at Albury in February as a 40-1 outsider.
Despite the heavy weight assignment, Jaytee’s the Fox could be a factor in the stretch from his customary position well off the pace.
First post time for the seven-race card at Wagga Wagga is 11:05 p.m. Eastern, or 8:05 p.m. Pacific, on Monday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.