Australia: Race over the track could be the ticket for Sweet Ride in Group 3 Black Opal

An all-important prep race over the course may provide a winning boost for Sweet Ride in Sunday’s Group 3 Black Opal Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds at Canberra Racecourse in Australia.

A winner of 2 of 3 starts, Sweet Ride is the only runner in a field of 14 in the Black Opal to win at the course, having done so in an allowance race at five furlongs on Feb. 25. Sweet Ride closed from fourth in the stretch to win by 2 1/2 lengths.

The $145,800 Black Opal Stakes is run at six furlongs. Sweet Ride, trained by Anabel Neasham, drew post 13, which will force jockey Jean Van Overmeire to find a ground-saving trip. Races at six furlongs at Canberra are run from a chute on the backstretch.

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Sweet Ride was 5-1 in early betting on Friday, the third choice behind the filly Queen of the Ball at 7-2 and the colt Metallicity at 4-1. Canberra has a nine-race program beginning at 8:25 p.m. Eastern or 5:25 p.m. Pacific on Saturday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Queen of the Ball won the Group 3 Widden Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney in her second start on Jan. 29, leading throughout. More recently, Queen of the Ball finished fifth of 10 as the 5-4 favorite in the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens on Feb. 19. Queen of the Ball was third early and was beaten two lengths.

Metallicity has started once, finishing fourth by a half-length in a lucrative allowance race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Feb. 12. Rise of the Masses was third in that race, and later second in the Group 2 Skyline Stakes at Randwick on Feb. 26.