Australia: Logan Street Lion faces stiff opposition at Sandown

The lightly raced 4-year-old Logan Street Lion has adapted to tougher handicap divisions in recent months in Australia.

After a second in early January, in his first start since May, Logan Street Lion has won consecutive starts in seven-furlong handicaps at Sandown Park in Melbourne, easily handling a jump to a tougher handicap group in the second of those wins.

Wednesday, Logan Street Lion will have his seventh start, and will face an even better set of rivals in yet another seven-furlong handicap at Sandown. This time, two of his principal foes are imports from England – Old Flame and Uncle Bryn.

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Logan Street Lion, a New Zealand-bred gelding, has won 3 of 6 starts, all for trainer Chris Waller. Logan Street Lion won from the rail in his last start on Feb. 9, and drew the same post in this race, which drew a field of seven. Logan Street Lion will be ridden by Damien Thornton, who was aboard for the two recent wins and is likely to have the gelding in a stalking position.

Old Flame is considered a threat to Logan Street Lion. As of Monday, they were joint 2-1 favorites in early betting, while Uncle Bryn was 11-1.

Old Flame won 2 of 4 starts in England when trained by Ralph Beckett and is now trained by Peter and Paul Snowden. In England, Old Flame won consecutive starts in seven-furlong races on the synthetic track at Wolverhampton and on turf at Catterick Bridge last September before finishing fourth of 18 in a seven-furlong handicap at Newmarket last October in his final start in the country.

The booking of former Melbourne leading rider Jamie Kah on Old Flame ensures that the 4-year-old colt will draw support.

Uncle Bryn may be a danger as a longshot. Previously trained by John and Thady Gosden, Uncle Bryn was third in the Blue Riband Trial, a prep for the English Derby, in April 2021, but was out of the picture for that classic after finishing last of 10 in the Group 2 Dante Stakes at York last May.

Gelded last summer, Uncle Bryn won a one-mile handicap at Ascot last September before he finished sixth of 26 in the ultra-competitive Cambridgeshire Handicap at 1 1/8 miles at Newmarket last September.

Uncle Bryn is now trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young.

There will be deserved support for Faretti, a fine second in a seven-furlong handicap at Sandown on March 9 in his first start since October.

Sandown has an eight-race program beginning at 11:30 p.m. Eastern or 8:30 p.m. Pacific on Tuesday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.