Australia: Risk and Reward hopes to reap profit in Dubbo handicap

Risk and Reward returned from a 12-month layoff in January to win a five-furlong handicap at Dubbo Racecourse, a small venue in the Australian countryside.

The handicap remains Risk and Reward’s only win in eight starts this year, a span that includes three second- and third-place finishes. Risk and Reward has not started since he finished 12th of 14 in a six-furlong handicap at Forbes Racecourse in August.

For his comeback, Risk and Reward will start in a five-furlong handicap at Dubbo Racecourse on Tuesday as the likely favorite in a field of nine. Risk and Reward has one career win in three starts at Dubbo.

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The handicap is the fourth race on a seven-race program that begins at 10:10 p.m. Eastern, or 7:10 p.m. Pacific, on Monday in the U.S. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Risk and Reward, a 6-year-old gelding trained by Sharon Jeffries, has won 3 of 19 starts in his career. Jeffries is Risk and Reward’s fourth trainer. The Dubbo race is Risk and Reward’s fourth start for Jeffries. The gelding was second in consecutive starts for her stable in May and July before the disappointing race in August.

Risk and Reward tends to run near the front, and could be joined in that position by Redirect, a 7-year-old gelding who is winless in six career starts at Dubbo. Redirect was second by three-quarters of a length in a five-furlong handicap at Dubbo on Nov. 15 in his first start since last December. Redirect set the pace and was caught late.

Rogue Runner was fourth in the same Nov. 15 race, beaten 1 3/4 lengths. Winless in six career starts at Dubbo, Rogue Runner is winless in five starts at all venues, since a six-furlong handicap in August.

Rogue Runner tends to run from off the pace, which could be an advantageous position Tuesday.