Australia: La Pluie likely favorite in Monday handicap
La Pluie is an Australian 3-year-old filly with a promising future.
On Jan. 22, in her third race following a six-month layoff, La Pluie beat maidens in her fifth career start at 7 1/2 furlongs at Mornington Racecourse not far from Melbourne. The win has led to an appearance in a handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Stony Creek Racecourse on Monday, her debut against winners.
Trained by Tony Noonan, La Pluie will be favored and is the only runner in a field of nine with a win in her last race. The longer distance is unlikely to be an issue, considering she closed from eighth of 11 to win the Mornington race by a half-length.
Stony Creek has an eight-race program that begins at 9:30 p.m. Eastern or 6:30 p.m. Pacific on Sunday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
La Pluie will be ridden for the first time by Josh Richards, an in-demand jockey who through Saturday had won with five of his last 50 mounts since Jan. 15.
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La Pluie was 2-1 in early betting Saturday, a slight choice over Port Royal and Promada, who were both 3-1 and have recent performances good enough to win at Stony Creek.
Port Royal, a 6-year-old gelding, has won 3 of 18 starts. In his last start, Port Royal was ninth of 11 against a better class of handicap runners at Moonee Valley on Jan. 29. He was more competitive when third in a handicap at about 1 1/16 miles at Geelong on Jan. 14, closing from eighth to lose by 1 1/4 lengths.
Promada, a 4-year-old New Zealand-bred filly, was third by 3 1/4 lengths in a one-mile handicap at Pakenham Racecourse on Jan. 27, stalking the pace. Noonan trains Promada, who has one win in 13 starts.
Lighthouse second in Grade 1
Lighthouse, the winner of the $400,000 Music City Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Kentucky Downs in 2020, finished second to Tofane in Saturday’s Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes at seven furlongs at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne.
Tofane ($16.40) led throughout the Orr Stakes, finishing 1 1/2 lengths in front of 10-1 Lighthouse, who races for Larry, Nancy, and Jaime Roth’s LNJ Foxwoods stable.
Lighthouse, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare by Mizzen Mast, won her first four starts in Australia from early November to Jan. 1 in sprint handicaps and was second in the Chester Manifold Stakes on Jan. 26 in advance of the $540,900 Orr Stakes.
Verry Elleegant 7th in Apollo
Verry Elleegant, the winner of the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at two miles in November, finished seventh in her first start in three months in Saturday’s Group 2 Apollo Stakes at seven furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney.
The 6-year-old New Zealand-bred mare was beaten 4 1/2 lengths by Think It Over in a race that served as a prep for leading stakes in coming months.
Verry Elleegant was the Australian Horse of the Year for the 2020-2021 season.