Australia: Mr Monaco totes heavy load in Pakenham Park handicap
Heavy weight assignments are a frequent occurrence for jockey Michael Walker when he rides the gelding Mr Monaco in synthetic-track races in Australia.
Mr Monaco, a 5-year-old Australian-bred, will start as the favorite in a handicap at 1 3/8 miles on the synthetic track at Pakenham Park outside of Melbourne on Friday. Mr Monaco carried top weight of 137.7 pounds when he won a handicap at 1 3/8 miles there June 1, and top weight of 143.3 pounds when second by less than a half-length in a handicap at that distance at the same venue June 19.
In Friday’s race, Mr. Monaco is the 143.3-pound topweight in a field of 12. Pharrell is second in the handicap at 134.4 pounds.
Mr Monaco, trained by Richard Laming, has won 2 of 3 starts on synthetic tracks. Walker has ridden the gelding to victories on turf, as recently as March, and in the June 1 win on the synthetic track.
Mr Monaco typically races as a stalker and will have an early target in the 4-year-old gelding Peace Brother, who led throughout a handicap at 1 5/16 miles on the synthetic track at Ballarat Racecourse on June 23, ending an 11-race losing streak in his debut on the surface.
Peace Brother will carry 132 pounds Friday.
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In the June 23 race, Peace Brother finished in front of runner-up So Schmick, who is part of Friday’s field. So Schmick will be ridden by apprentice jockey Carleen Hefel, reducing the weight assignment to 125.6 pounds.
While Mr Monaco is expected to be favored, So Schmick is the likely second choice at 9-2, according to pre-race odds available Wednesday. Peace Brother was 8-1, while Zancada was 9-1.
Zancada, a winner for the first time on the synthetic track at Ballarat last August in his third start on the surface, won a handicap on turf at 1 3/8 miles on May 26 at Hamilton Racecourse and was sixth of 12 in a handicap at 1 1/2 miles on turf on June 21 at Bendigo.
First post time at Pakenham, also known as Racing.com Park, is 10:30 p.m. Eastern, or 7:30 p.m. Pacific, on Thursday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.