Australia: Miso continues promising career in handicap at Sandown

When Miso has lost in his brief career, it has been against good horses or by a narrow margin.

Miso has won two of his four starts, a promising start to a career by any measure and why the 4-year-old gelding will be a strong favorite to win a seven-furlong handicap at Sandown Racecourse in Melbourne on Tuesday.

Trained by Daniel Bowman, Miso won his first two races, in July and November, before finishing third to the well-regarded Vermentino at Sandown on Dec. 14. Miso was beaten a short head in his most recent start, a seven-furlong handicap at Warrnambool on Dec. 31. Miso led in the stretch, but was caught late by Wishlor Lass, who is unbeaten in two starts.

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In Tuesday’s race at Sandown, Miso is part of a field of 10 in the fourth race on an eight-race program that begins at 11:40 p.m. Eastern or 8:40 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Ridden by Ethan Brown, Miso breaks from post 2 and tends to run near the front.

Any sort of pace will help Duke of Hastings, a closer who has won 2 of 8 starts but has not raced since he finished sixth in a handicap at 1 9/16 miles at Moonee Valley in August. Duke of Hastings has run well at shorter distances, including a maiden race win at about 1 1/16 miles in June.

This race is a significant class drop for the three-time winner Toogoodfortoorak, who has started twice since returning from a layoff of more than eight months in early December.

Toogoodfortoorak, who runs from off the pace, won a seven-furlong handicap at Cranbourne on Dec. 9 in his comeback, but was last of nine against a tougher level of handicap rivals in a handicap at a mile at Moonee Valley on Dec. 24.

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