Australia: Ladies seem to have the edge in Monday feature at Grafton
The fourth race at Grafton Racecourse in Australia on Monday is open to males and females, but it’s four fillies and mares figure to play a vital role in the outcome of the handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs.
Arrow Express, Lolly Dolly, Nanakorobi Yaoki, and Toots is Tops each has solid credentials in a field of 11.
Arrow Express is taking a sizeable drop in class following an eighth-place finish in a five-furlong handicap at Toowoomba on March 27. A winner of 5 of 32 starts, she was a more competitive third in a handicap against a lesser field at 5 1/2 furlongs at Gold Coast Racecourse on March 6, losing by two lengths.
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Lolly Dolly, a 6-year-old, has won 3 of 10 starts, but has not raced since August when she finished last in a handicap at 6 1/4 furlongs at Taree. She was in peak form last April and May, winning consecutive starts at Coffs Harbour at five and six furlongs.
Nanakorobi Yaoki, a 4-year-old filly, has not started since she finished sixth as the 8-5 favorite in a handicap at Coffs Harbour in December. Winless in her last four starts, she is a danger as a stalker, exemplified by a win in a handicap at 6 1/4 furlongs at Ballina last November.
Toots is Tops is yet another filly returning from a layoff, having finished fifth in a seven-furlong handicap at Lismore last September. A winner of 2 of 11 starts, Toots is Tops is winless in four starts since winning a handicap at 6 1/4 furlongs at Ballina last July.
Grafton Racecourse has a 10-race program beginning at 9:35 p.m., Eastern, or 6:35 p.m., Pacific, on Sunday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
Royal Randwick
Cascadian, a 6-year-old British-bred gelding who began his career in France, rallied from the back of a field of 18 to win the richest race of his career in Saturday’s Group 1 Doncaster Mile at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia.
Ridden by Jamie Kah for trainer James Cummings, Cascadian, who paid $17.70 in American pools, was ninth in the stretch and finished a head in front of 30-1 Icebath.
Mugatoo, the 8-5 favorite, finished fourth, beaten 1 1/2 lengths.
Cascadian, owned by Godolphin Racing, won his second group stakes in the $2.29 million Doncaster Mile, and ended a nine-race losing streak. Cascadian won the Group 3 Doncaster Prelude in March 2020 and was ninth of 20 in the 2020 Doncaster Mile.
Kah became the first woman rider to win a Grade 1 or Group 1 race for Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing. Kah, 25, is the leading rider in the Australian state of Victoria, and won her first Group 1 at a Sydney track in the Doncaster Mile. Sydney is located in the state of New South Wales.
Cascadian had a notable career in France, finishing second in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat at Deauville in 2018 when trained by Andre Fabre.
There were three other Group 1 races on an outstanding program at Randwick on Saturday.
Anamoe ($3.30) cruised to an easy win by 2 3/4 lengths in the $764,000 Inglis’ Sires Stakes for 2-year-olds at seven furlongs. Trained by Cummings for Godolphin, Anamoe has won 3 of 7 starts and was second in the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes at Rosehill Gardens on March 27.
In the Inglis’ Sires, Anamoe was clear of runner-up Hilal (15-1) in a field of nine.
Nature Spirit, the 2019-2020 Australian Horse of the Year, won the $1.91 million T.J. Smith Stakes for sprinters for the second consecutive year. Ridden by James McDonald for trainer Chris Waller, Nature Spirit ($5.10) was always near the front in the six-furlong race and won by two lengths over 6-1 Masked Crusader in a field of nine.
Eduardo, who beat Nature Spirit by a nose in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at five furlongs at Randwick on March 6, finished third.
Nature Spirit, a 6-year-old gelding, has won 16 of 30 starts.
The New Zealand-bred Explosive Jack won the $1.52 million Australian Derby at 1 1/2 miles for his second derby victory of the year. Explosive Jack won the listed Tasmanian Derby at Hobart Racecourse on Feb. 5 and was later third and second in stakes in March.
In Saturday’s Australian Derby, Explosive Jack ($34) closed from 10th in a field of 16 to edge 11-1 Young Werther by a head. Lion’s Roar (8-1) finished third.
Explosive Jack was ridden by John Allen for trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace. The Australian Derby was Explosive Jack’s fourth win in seven starts and his Group 1 debut.