Australia: Silverdale Chief tries for first Australian win

A troubled trip kept Silverdale Chief from scoring his first win in Australia in a one-mile handicap at Wagga Wagga Racecourse on June 13.

Bettors are expecting the recent New Zealand import to end a six-race losing streak in Australia in a one-mile handicap at Narrandera Racecourse on Saturday evening.

At Wagga Wagga, Silverdale Chief, a 5-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding, raced in traffic on the turn and flew through the stretch to miss catching race winner Thistledo by a nose.

Thistledo, a 10-year-old, and Silverdale Chief, are two of the principal runners in the race at Narrandera. Early betting sided with Silverdale Chief to reverse the recent result. As of Friday, Silverdale Chief was the 2-1 favorite, while Thistledo was 5-1.

:: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for Australian racing

Silverdale Chief won twice in New Zealand before he was send to Australia in the second half of 2022. Silverdale Chief was third by three-quarters of a length in the minor Albury Cup at Albury Racecourse on March 23, his only other top three finish this year.

Thistledo, who tends to run near the front, won for the sixth time in his 41st start at Wagga Wagga, ending a 16-race losing streak since March 2021. Thistledo, who was a decent third in a seven-furlong handicap at Wagga Wagga on June 2, has had a busy recent campaign. The race at Narrandera will be Thistledo’s fourth start in five weeks.

The 4-year-old filly Amarantz starts at Narrandera for the first time in her 19th start after mixed results in recent races at tracks in Sydney. Narrandera won a lucrative handicap at 1 1/8 miles in February, but has finished sixth and 10th in big fields since returning from a layoff of more than three months in late May.

With her best performance, Amarantz can be a factor from off the pace in a significant class drop from her recent competition.

Narrandera has a seven-race program beginning at 10:30 p.m. Eastern or 7:30 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.