Australia: Lucky Elixir tries for third straight win

In his six-year career, the 10-year-old Australian-bred gelding Lucky Elixir has never won three consecutive races. The chance arrives Monday in a handicap at 1 5/16 miles at Tamworth Racecourse.

A winner of 7 of 69 starts, Lucky Elixir has won his last two starts. They came in handicaps at 1 1/8 miles at Gilgranda Racecourse on Aug. 1 and at 1 5/16 miles at Scone on Aug. 18. In both races, Lucky Elixir closed from off the pace to win as the favorite. He is likely to have that role on Monday.

Trained by Michael Mulholland, Lucky Elixir has raced in minor handicaps throughout his career, winning at distances ranging from 6 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/2 miles. Greg Ryan has ridden Lucky Elixir in six of his last 10 starts and has won three races aboard the veteran in that span. Ryan rides Lucky Elixir on Monday and will carry 130 pounds, second in the weights to Tom’s Knight at 140 pounds.

The handicap drew a field of 10 and is the fifth race on a seven-race program that begins at 11:40 p.m., Eastern, or 8:40 p.m., Pacific, on Sunday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Tom’s Knight, a 5-year-old gelding, has credentials that suggest he can play a leading role. Tom’s Knight won a handicap at 1 1/2 miles at Wellington Racecourse on July 20 and was third in a handicap at 1 5/16 miles at Tamworth on Aug. 7 before finishing second by about a length to Lucky Elixir at Scone on Aug. 18.

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At Scone, Lucky Elixir carried 125.6 pounds compared to 137.7 pounds for Tom’s Knight, a winner of 4 of 18 starts.

Tom’s Knight has an official handicap rating of 63 while Lucky Elixir is rated at 55, which explains the gap in the weights. Group level stakes horses often have ratings of 100 or more.