Australia: The Mitchell Snail tries to go 2 for 2 in handicap at Scone Racecourse
It was not a complete surprise that The Mitchell Snail won his debut in a five-furlong maiden race at Gunnison Racecourse in Australia on July 12. Sent off as the 5-1 fourth choice in a field of 10, The Mitchell Snail closed from fourth to lead in the final strides.
The win has led to a handicap for colts, geldings and horses at 5 1/2 furlongs at Scone Racecourse on Friday where The Mitchell Snail is rated as a contender in a field of nine. If the 4-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding can replicate the tracking style of his maiden race win, he has an excellent chance to maintain a perfect record.
Trained by Stephen Jones, who is based at Scone, The Mitchell Snail will carry 131 pounds, considerably less than topweight Ezekiel at 141 pounds. Ezekiel was the 7-5 favorite in early betting as of Wednesday, compared to 7-2 for The Mitchell Snail.
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The handicap at Scone is the first start for Ezekiel since he finished 13th at Tamworth on March 6 and last of 14 at Scone on March 22 in stakes qualifying trials. Ezekiel began 2022 in brighter form, with consecutive wins in handicaps at 5 1/2 furlongs at Armidale in January and at six furlongs at Quirindi in February.
In the wins, Ezekiel closed from off the pace to lead in the final furlong, drawing away for comfortable victories.
Ezekiel and The Mitchell Snail start from posts 2 and 6, which should suit their tracking styles. Races at Scone at 5 1/2 furlongs start from a chute that joins the final turn, leading to a stretch run of about a quarter-mile.
Foxstorm is a 5-year-old gelding who is winless in 14 starts since a maiden race in January 2021. Foxstorm was 9-2 as of Wednesday, but is not a certain runner. Foxstorm was fifth of nine in a six-furlong handicap at Tamworth on Tuesday and would be making a quick turnaround for this race.
Tamworth has an eight-race program beginning at 10:35 p.m. Eastern or 7:35 p.m. Pacific on Thursday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.