Australia: Linthorpe Lad faces easier task in Brisbane Handicap

Linthorpe Lad had a two-race winning streak end with a fourth-place finish in a one-mile handicap at Sunshine Coast Racecourse in Australia on Nov. 19.

Fortunately for Linthorpe Lad, the three runners who beat him that day are not part of the field for the Brisbane Handicap at Doomben Racecourse on Thursday evening across American time zones.

Street Dancer, who finished third on Nov. 19, returned to win a handicap at 1 1/4 miles at Doomben last Saturday.

Linthorpe Lad, a winner of 7 of 25 starts in his career, was the 5-2 favorite in early betting on Wednesday for the Brisbane Handicap, which drew a field of nine and is run at slightly longer than a mile.

:: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for Australian racing

A 5-year-old gelding, Linthorpe Lad won at that distance in a handicap at Doomben on Nov. 5, closing from fourth to pull away by 3 1/4 lengths. At Sunshine Coast on Nov. 19, Linthorpe Lad was prominent in early stretch before fading from contention in the final strides, losing by slightly less than 1 1/2 lengths. Linthorpe Lad was as close as second with a furlong remaining.

The 6-year-old gelding Bullfinch is rated as the leading challenger to Linthorpe Lad, and is one of two runners in the field trained by the nationally prominent stable of Chris Waller. He also starts the 5-year-old mare She’s a Gift, who may set the pace. She is winless in three starts since a handicap at about a mile at Doomben in June.

Bullfinch, a winner of 5 of 17 starts, is in the midst of a five-race losing streak since a seven-furlong handicap at Eagle Farm in April. In November, Bullfinch finished fourth and fifth in lucrative handicaps at Royal Randwick Racecourse and Eagle Farm. In both races, Bullfinch closed from well off the pace.

Couldn’t Refuse, third behind Linthorpe Lad in a one-mile handicap at Eagle Farm on Oct. 29, is another prominent runner in the Brisbane Handicap.

Doomben has an eight-race program beginning at 10:32 p.m. Eastern or 7:32 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.