Australia: Sniper Legend slight favorite over Agrum at Wyong Racecourse

With just two races of experience, the 3-year-old Agrum is already a top weight in everyday handicaps so common in Australian racing.

Thursday at Wyong Racecourse, Agrum and the longshot Gidgee Guy will both carry 131 pounds. The 3-year-old filly Ready to Soar was assigned top weight of 133 pounds, but the presence of apprentice jockey Ellen Hennessy reduces the assignment to 126.7 pounds.

Agrum has run well as a top weight in his brief career. After winning his debut in a five-furlong maiden race by more than 3 1/2 lengths at Gosford Park on June 29, Agrum carried topweight of 129 pounds in a handicap at 4 1/2 furlongs at Newcastle on July 10, closing well to miss by about a head.

Trained by Matthew Smith, Agrum will start in the longest race of his career at Wyong, and may not be favored. The 2-year-old Sniper Legend was 2-1 in early betting on Tuesday, a slight choice over Agrum at 5-2.

Sniper Legend will turn 3 on Sunday, the day all Southern Hemisphere Thoroughbreds advance a year in age, similar to Jan. 1 in the Northern Hemisphere.

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Trained by Matthew Vella, Sniper Legend was second in his debut in a five-furlong maiden race for 2- and 3-year-olds in January and has since started twice against older horses, winning a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Hawkesbury on June 22 and finishing second by 1 1/2 lengths as the 7-5 favorite in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Gosford Park on July 15.

Sniper Legend drew the outside in a field of 10 and is expected to be prominent from the start.

Ready to Soar has won 3 of 10 starts, but has lost four races since a win in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Wyong last December. Ready to Soar was last of 12 at 40-1 in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens on July 3 against a much tougher group than she will face in this handicap.

The Wyong program begins at 10:25 p.m. Eastern, or 7:25 p.m. Pacific, on Wednesday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.