Australia: Rescheduled Goulburn Cup goes Wednesday with same two headliners

The $140,400 Goulburn Cup, take 2, will be run on Wednesday at Goulburn Racecourse in New South Wales, Australia, southwest of Sydney.

At least that’s the plan.

The Goulburn Cup was scheduled for Sunday, but was postponed until mid-week because of rain.

The field has maintained its two leading candidates in Man of Peace and Handle the Truth.

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Man of Peace and Handle the Truth were separated by about a head when they finished third and fourth in the $912,600 Kosciuzko Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 17.

In a six-furlong race restricted to horses trained in the states of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, the two runners were beaten about 1 1/4 lengths by the heavily favored It’s Me, who won his fourth consecutive start.

It’s Me has not started since that race, while Man of Peace and Handle the Truth are part of a field of 12 in the Goulburn Cup.

Man of Peace is likely to take his customary position near the front, while Handle the Truth is a major threat from off the pace. The longer distance of the Goulburn Cup appears to suit Handle the Truth, who has won 8 of 23 starts but is winless in his last seven starts. Handle the Truth won the 2019 Kosciuzko Stakes.

Man of Peace, who has won 14 of 54 starts, won three consecutive races in lucrative handicaps in July and August at distances ranging from 6 1/2 to seven furlongs. Man of Peace set the pace in each of those races.

The Goulburn Cup is also a drop in prize money for Chat, who was fourth in the $351,000 Silver Eagle Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 4-year-olds at 6 1/2 furlongs at Randwick on Oct. 10. Chat set the pace and was beaten almost two lengths by Flit, a three-time group stakes winner.

Chat has won 4 of 15 starts and tends to set the pace or race as a stalker.

The Goulburn Cup is the seventh race on an eight-race program that begins at 10:25 p.m. Eastern, or 7:25 p.m. Pacific, on Tuesday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.