Australia: Nashville Sound might appreciate shorter distance in Koroit Cup at Warrnambool Racecourse

A return to shorter races and a start at his home track may help Nashville Sound end a 13-race losing streak in the 1 1/16-mile Koroit Cup at Warrnambool Racecourse in Australia on Sunday.

Nashville Sound, a 6-year-old Australian-bred gelding, has raced primarily at distances of 1 1/4 miles to 1 1/2 miles in the last eight months. He finished second in a handicap at 1 7/16 miles at Warrnambool in May.

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Nashville Sound’s most recent win was at Warnambool in April 2019 in a handicap at 1 7/16 miles in April 2019. Trained by Daniel Bowman, who is based at Warrnambool, Nashville Sound has won 2 of 5 starts at Warrnambool, including a race at 1 1/16 miles in December 2018. Nashville Sound has finished in the top three in all of his start at Warrnambool.

Sunday’s race will be Nashville Sound’s first start since a fourth-place finish by three-quarters of a length in a handicap at Bendigo Racecourse at 1 1/2 miles on July 29.

The Koroit Cup drew a competitive field of 10 and lacks a heavy favorite. Humble Pie, trained at Warrnambool by Symon Wilde, was a slight favorite at 7-2 in early betting on Friday despite a seventh-place finish against tougher competition in a handicap at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on Jan. 1.

Other contenders are Tough Vic and Duke of Plumpton.

Tough Vic was second in the Penshurst Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Penshurst Racecourse as the 2-1 favorite on Dec. 26, and won a seven-furlong handicap at Warrnambool on Nov. 29 as the pacesetter.

Duke of Plumpton has won 4 of 15 starts in his career, but is winless in his last five races, since April. Duke of Plumpton was last of 12 against a better group at seven furlongs at Caulfield Racecourse on Jan. 2.

Warrnambool, located southwest of Melbourne, has an eight-race program that begins at 9:20 p.m., Eastern, or 6:20 p.m., Pacific, on Saturday. Wagering and viewing is available through DRFBets.com.