Australia: Rich and Shameless will give weight in Moree Cup
Rich and Shameless inherited the role of top weight in Sunday’s Moree Cup in Australia with the withdrawal of Eiger after entries were taken.
Rich and Shameless will carry 126.7 pounds, and will be favored on the strength of a recent win in a minor handicap at seven furlongs at Mudgee Racecourse on Aug. 29. The Moree Cup is also run at seven furlongs.
A winner of 5 of 22 starts, Rich and Shameless was the 3-1 favorite in early betting on Friday in the Moree Cup, which will have a maximum field of 14. There were 18 entries accepted earlier in the week.
For the Moree Cup, Rich and Shameless will spot the field two to six pounds in a race the 5-year-old gelding can win.
Rich and Shameless ended a three-race losing streak at Mudgee, closing from fourth to win by a little more than a neck. He is likely to be joined in that running style by Famous, a 5-year-old gelding who won a seven-furlong handicap at Tamworth on Aug. 6, and was third against a similar field at 6 1/2 furlongs at Gunnison on Aug. 16, missing by 1 1/2 lengths.
Vertical, who is more of a closer, has a home course advantage. A 5-year-old gelding, Vertical is trained at Moree by John Bourke. Vertical has won 5 of 16 starts and is unbeaten in two races at Moree Racecourse – a lower-class handicap at 4 3/4 furlongs on May 20, and a handicap at six furlongs on July 20.
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The pacesetter may be Rexx, who was second in front of Famous at Gunnison on Aug. 16, but is winless in his last 13 starts since a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs last November.
Moree has an eight-race program that begins at 10:55 p.m. Eastern, or 7:55 p.m. Pacific, on Saturday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.