Australia: Short Shorts looks to step up in Tuesday handicap

Short Shorts was beaten for the first time in her brief career in a seven-furlong handicap for fillies and mares at Hawkesbury Racecourse in Australia in December.

Two months later, the loss does not look so bad.

Short Shorts finished about 1 1/4 lengths behind Sweet Ruby, who returned on Jan. 5 to win a handicap against males at Warwick Farm Racecourse. Awesome Choice, who was third at Hawkesbury, has since won two of four starts.

Short Shorts, a 3-year-old New Zealand-bred, will have a turn to enhance that form when she has her third career start in a six-furlong handicap at Kembla Grange Racecourse on Tuesday.

Kembla Grange has a seven-race program beginning at 9:15 p.m. Eastern, or 6:15 p.m. Pacific, on Monday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Short Shorts, trained by Brad Widdup, won her debut in a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs at Newcastle Racecourse on Nov. 28, racing near the front throughout. At Hawkesbury, Short Shorts was the 2-1 favorite and closed from fifth in a field of 10.

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Kerrin McEvoy will ride Short Shorts for the first time.

The geldings Arthur Francis and With Your Blessing have run well enough in recent starts to deserve support against Short Shorts.

Arthur Francis was third in a six-furlong handicap at Goulburn Racecourse in October in his last appearance, beaten a little more than two lengths. More recently, Arthur Francis has finished first in a training race from the gate, or barrier trial, at 5 1/4 furlongs at Royal Randwick Rcecourse.

With Your Blessing has the benefit of a more recent start, having won a maiden race on the infield Kensington course at Randwick on Feb. 2 in his sixth start. With Your Blessing is a threat from off the pace. He was fourth and fifth in Group 3 races last March and April.

Lighthouse among All-Star invitees

Lighthouse, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare who has won stakes at Kentucky Downs and in Australia in the last 18 months, is among 10 early invitees for the All-Star Mile at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on March 19.

If Lighthouse starts in the All-Star Mile, the race will be by far the most difficult challenge of her career.

The prominent invitees are Verry Elleegant, who won the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at two miles in November; I’m Thunderstruck, who won the $5.64 million Golden Eagle Stakes for 4-year-olds last October; and Zaaki, who won the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes last November.

The All-Star Mile will have a field of 15, with 10 positions determined by a fan vote, two berths available to the winners of upcoming major stakes, and three berths determined by a committee of racing executives.

Lighthouse was among the 10 public selections. Owned by the LNJ Foxwood Stable of Larry, Nancy and Jaime Roth, Lighthouse has won 7 of 15 starts and earned $648,114. In September 2020, Lighthouse won the $400,000 Music City Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs for 3-year-old fillies at Kentucky Downs when trained by Simon Callaghan.

In Australia, Lighthouse won her first four starts beginning last November, a streak that included the listed Chester Manifold at seven furlongs at Flemington on Jan. 1. More recently, Lighthouse was second to the multiple stakes winner Tofane in the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes at seven furlongs at Caulfield on Aug. 12.