Australia: Plonka favored in rematch with Bugalugs

The Australian geldings Bugalugs and Plonka finished first and second in a five-furlong handicap at Grafton Racecourse on Jan. 24, a result that did not meet the expectations of bettors.

Bugalugs was 8-1 and led throughout, while 6-5 Plonka closed from fifth to lose by 2 1/2 lengths.

The rematch occurs Tuesday in a six-furlong handicap at Grafton in which Plonka is again expected to be favored. The race doubles as a regional qualifier for a series of lucrative restricted stakes in coming months.

Last April, Plonka was third in the $240,000 Country Championship at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, and the same race is a possibility this year.

:: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for Australian racing

Plonka, trained by Warren Gavenlock, may be better suited to this distance than the five-furlong trip on Jan. 24. Plonka has won 4 of 15 starts. The Jan. 24 race was his first start since September, another reason to forgive the loss.

Bugalugs, a winner of 7 of 26 starts, ended a three-race losing streak on Jan. 24. Trained at Grafton by John Shelton, Bugalugs often runs near the front. The gelding adores Grafton, having won his last three starts at the track, which is located well north of Sydney in the New South Wales countryside.

The handicap is the fifth race on an eight-race program that begins at 9:15 p.m. Eastern, or 6:15 p.m. Pacific, on Monday. Wagering and viewing are available through DRFBets.com.

Plonka and Bugalugs are likely to dominate the betting.

Patriot, third in the same race on Jan. 24 as the leading contenders, will start from post 5. Patriot is winless in 17 starts since June 2019, a span that includes six second- and third-place finishes.