Australia: Starelle one to watch in stretch of Wave Stakes
In four starts since late October, Starelle has finished second or third in stakes at tracks in Melbourne, Australia, always improving her position in the stretch.
Starelle has not won a stakes since March, and has been shipped across Australia, to Gold Coast Racecourse near Brisbane, for her next assignment in Saturday’s $179,250 Wave Stakes for 3- and 4-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles.
A 4-year-old filly, Starelle is part of a field of 14 in the Wave Stakes, the highlight of a nine-race program that begins at 9:08 p.m. Eastern or 6:08 p.m. Pacific on Thursday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
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Trained by Danny O’Brien, Starelle was third by 1 1/2 lengths in the Lord Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Caulfield Racecourse. Starelle closed from eighth of 11 in the stretch and has shown a similar closing style in several recent starts. Starelle has won once in 16 starts, in the Group 2 Kewney Stakes at a mile at Flemington last March.
The Wave Stakes is her 13th appearance in a stakes.
Starelle, who will be ridden by Craig Williams, is unlikely to be favored, a role expected to go to Lord Ardmore, who has won two of his last four starts. Trained by Chris Waller, Lord Ardmore won a handicap at 1 1/8 miles at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney on Nov. 27 and was second by a nose in a handicap at 1 1/4 miles at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on Dec. 18.
Lord Ardmore was the 3-1 favorite as of Thursday for the Wave, a slight choice over Starelle and Wheelhouse, who were 4-1.
Wheelhouse, trained by Waller, was second by about a neck in a handicap at a mile at Randwick on Dec. 26.
The Gold Coast program includes three sale progeny stakes, each worth $173,800.
Palladas, fourth in a six-furlong handicap at Doomben Racecourse on Dec. 26 in his first start since June, will be favored in the Magic Millions Rising Stars Plate for 3- and 4-year-old colts and geldings at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Lady of Luxury, who has won three of her last five starts, and Boomnova, second in the same race as Palladas on Dec. 26, are the leading runners in the Magic Million Rising Stars Plate for 3- and 4-year-old fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Sir Rocket, a winner of 5 of 11 starts, will be an odds-on favorite in the Magic Millions Country Cup at six furlongs. The race is restricted to horses that have raced at countryside tracks in Australia in the last year.