Australia: Last race points out Axe as a threat in Eye Liner Stakes
Axe, a 4-year-old Australian-bred gelding, was fourth in the Group 3 BRC Sprint at Doomben Racecourse in Australia on May 22, a performance that has gained significance in the last week.
Axe was beaten a little more than 1 1/4 lengths by the multiple stakes winner Emerald Kingdom, who was clear of runner-up Tofane. On June 12, Tofane won the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm Racecourse, a race in which Emerald Kingdom was eighth.
Axe returns to the track in Saturday’s $135,730 Eye Liner Stakes at 6 3/4 furlongs at Ipswich Racecourse where he figures to be a second choice behind Amish Boy.
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Axe, trained by Michael Costa, had his group stakes debut in the BRC Stakes, having raced in everyday handicaps for much of his career. The Eye Liner Stakes has listed status.
A winner of 6 of 16 starts, Axe tends to run near the pace, but closed from 10th of 15 in the BRC Sprint.
Amish Boy, a 3-year-old colt, has only one win in 15 starts, but is a group-stakes level veteran. Amish Boy was third in the Group 1 Newmarket Stakes at six furlongs at Flemington Racecourse on March and third in the Group 3 Fred Best Stakes at seven furlongs at Eagle Farm on May 29. Amish Boy is a closer.
The nine-race program at Ipswich Racecourse begins at 9:38 p.m., Eastern, or 6:38 p.m., Pacific, on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
The final three races on the program are listed stakes, a sequence that begins with the $135,730 Ipswich Cup at about 1 5/16 miles.
The 5-year-old mare In Good Health should appreciate the distance, having won the Centaurea Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles at Morphettville Racecourse on May 15 prior to finishing seventh of 12 in the Magic Millions National Classic at a mile on June 5.
A winner of 7 of 33 starts, In Good Health is trained by Peter Moody, best known for training the undefeated superstar Black Caviar, who won 25 races from 2009-2013.
In Good Health’s principal rivals are Laure Me In and So You Win.
Laure Me In won the Scone Cup at a mile at Scone Racecourse on May 14, but was only ninth of 12 in the Group 3 Lord Mayor’s Cup at 1 1/8 miles at Eagle Farm on May 29, a race in which So You Win was second.
In the Ipswich Cup, So You Win makes a fast turnaround following a fourth-place finish against tough company in the Wayne Wilson Stakes at a mile at Eagle Farm on June 12.
In the final race on the program, Boomtown Lass and Lillemor are the leading contenders in the $113,340 Gai Waterhouse Classic for fillies and mares at six furlongs in their second start after a recent layoff.
Lillemor won her most recent start, in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on May 29, her first start in four months.
Lillemor tends to set the pace, while Boomtown Lass is more effective as a stalker.
Boomtown Lass was second by three-quarters of a length in a five-furlong handicap at Eagle Farm in January, her first start since a third in a $770,000 handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs in January for horses bred in the Australian state of Queensland.