Australia: Minola's stamina will be tested at Bendigo Racecourse

The listed Heatherlie Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse in Australia on Aug. 29 was a little steep for the mare Minola. She finished 10th of 16 in her stakes debut as a 60-1 outsider.

A handicap at 1 3/8 miles at Bendigo Racecourse on Wednesday is a better fit, but also a stamina test in what will be the longest race of Minola’s brief career.

Trained by Paul Preusker, Minola won consecutive starts at a mile and 1 1/4 miles in March and April. She was rested for four months and finished third in a handicap at 7 1/4 furlongs at Geelong on Aug. 14 in a prep for the Heatherlie Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. Minola was at the back of the field throughout the Heatherlie and was beaten 4 1/4 lengths by 60-1 In Good Health.

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Minola has won 2 of 7 starts in a career that began with an eighh-place finish in a maiden race in June 2019. She did not race again until February.

Wednesday’s handicap is the second race on an eight-race program that begins at 11 p.m. Eastern, or 8 p.m. Pacific, on Tuesday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

While Minola has never run 1 3/8 miles, the distance should not be an issue for Barade, a 6-year-old French-bred gelding who won a handicap at 1 1/4 miles at tiny Warracknabeal Racecourse on Aug. 29 to end a 10-race losing streak.

Barade began his career in Sweden and was a listed stakes winner on the synthetic track at Chantilly Racecourse in France in 2018. Barade has raced in Australia since last October and won for the first time in the country on Aug. 29.

The 5-year-old stayer Protection Money will be ridden by Damien Oliver, who has been aboard the gelding in his last three starts. Protection Money won a handicap at 1 1/2 miles at Sandown Racecourse on Aug. 12 and was third in a similar race at Bendigo on Sept. 2.