Australia: Rustic Steel likely to set pace in 5-furlong handicap
Rustic Steel was 8-1 when he won a maiden race in a mild upset at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, on Nov. 3.
To really grab attention, a longshot in Australia in recent days needs to score a shock result at 300-1, such as Lunar Fox did in the Group 1 Australian Guineas at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on Saturday. Understandably, Lunar Fox was the longest shot in a field of 15, beating the recent group stakes winners Cherry Tortini and Tagaloa, who were second and third.
Lunar Fox was the longest-priced winner in an Australian Group 1, according to several media reports, surpassing 250-1 Abaridy in the 1986 Caulfield Guineas.
There will not be any 300-1 shots among the 10 horses facing Rustic Steel in a -furlong handicap at Kembla Grange Racecourse on Tuesday.
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Rustic Steel was 7-5 in early betting Sunday for his second start. Trained by Kris Lees, Rustic Steel has finished third and second in two schooling races, or barrier trials, in recent weeks. Jockey Brenton Avdulla was aboard for the Nov. 3 win and keeps the mount on a colt who is likely to set the pace.
The lightly raced prospects Absolute Legend and Blossom Star are other contenders. The handicap is the third race on a seven-race program that begins at 9:15 p.m. Eastern, or 6:15 p.m. Pacific, on Monday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
Absolute Legend, a 4-year-old gelding, won a maiden race at 6 1/4 furlongs at Newcastle in his second start on Aug. 22 and was later third and fourth in six-furlong handicaps in September and October. The Kembla Grange race on Tuesday will be Absolute Legend’s first start since October.
Blossom Star, a 3-year-old filly, has won 2 of 6 starts, including a five-furlong handicap at Goulburn Racecourse on Dec. 18. In her lone start this year, Blossom Star was 10th of 11 against a better field in a six-furlong handicap at Canterbury Park on Feb. 12 as a 16-1 outsider.
Of the others, this race is a significant drop in class for Belieber, who was last of eight at 150-1 in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes at six furlongs for 3-year-olds at Randwick on Feb. 6.