Australia: McNair looks sharp for Scone handicap

A six-month break from November to May has changed the New Zealand-bred gelding McNair, who may start favored in a competitive one-mile handicap at Scone Racecourse in Australia on Thursday.

Last year, McNair was winless in five starts, with his best result a third-place finish. Since returning to action in May, McNair has won 2 of 4 starts. The 4-year-old won a maiden race at six furlongs at Coffs Harbour on June 18 in his second start of the year, finished sixth by 1 3/4 lengths in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Taree on July 16, and won a one-mile handicap at Taree on July 27.

In his four starts this year, McNair has been favored and has been ridden by Ashley Morgan, who has the mount at Scone. Morgan is expected to have McNair toward the back of a field of eight in the first half of the race.

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McNair is taking a slight rise in class at Scone and has two formidable rivals in Unrelenting and Controlthewitness. Scone has an eight-race program that begins at 10:40 p.m. Eastern, or 7:40 p.m. Pacific, on Wednesday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Controlthewitness won for the sixth time in his 21st start in a one-mile handicap against this class level on June 29 at Gosford Park, but followed that performance with a sixth-place finish at 10-1 against a tougher group at 1 3/16 miles at Canterbury Park on July 14.

This class level, and the addition of blinkers, could help the chances of Controlthewitness, who tends to race as a closer.

Unrelenting is likely to set the pace, a style that worked in a win in a handicap on soft turf at Kembla Grange Racecourse on June 24. Since then, Unrelenting was last of nine in a much tougher field at 7 1/2 furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse on July 10 and a more encouraging fourth in a handicap at a mile at Wyong on July 29 when beaten 2 1/4 lengths.