Australia: Nimbostratus looks to bounce back from rocky Australian debut

After a bumpy introduction to Australian racing in April, Nimbostratus, stakes-placed at Santa Anita in 2021, will have her second start in that country in a handicap at 5 1/4 furlongs at Doomben Racecourse in Brisbane on Wednesday.

Nimbostratus finished a well-beaten last of eight in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Canterbury Park in April in her Australian debut. It was her first start since a ninth-place finish in the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf last July at Del Mar.

A French-bred by Wootton Bassett, Nimbostratus has a good history in turf sprints. She won a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs in Ireland in her second start in 2020 before being sent to California. In the Grade 3 Sweet Life Stakes at six furlongs on turf at Santa Anita in February 2021, Nimbostratus finished third behind multiple stakes winner Going Global.

Later that year, Nimbostratus was claimed for $150,000 on the day she won a six-furlong turf race at Santa Anita. The claiming price was a track record at Santa Anita.

In California, Nimbostratus was trained by Peter Miller for most her time in the state, and briefly by Leonard Powell before she was exported to Australia.

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Because of her past accomplishments in graded stakes, Nimbostratus has an official handicap rating of 82, which makes her the 132-pound topweight in the Doomben race, which drew a field of 11. Doomben has an eight-race program beginning at 10:20 p.m. Eastern, or 7:20 p.m. Pacific, on Tuesday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

By comparison, Red Rubi, a winner of 4 of 12 starts, will carry 122.3 pounds and has won at Doomben. Red Rubi won her only start this year, a five-furlong handicap at Sunshine Coast on April 17 and now takes a jump in class to a tougher level of handicap runners.

This is the first start of the year for the 5-year-old gelding Jetski, who will carry 125.6 pounds. A winner of 4 of 26 starts, all at six furlongs, Jetski has won twice following a layoff in his career, which began in 2019.