Australia: Starspangled Baby, Rendelsham co-favored in handicap at Stony Creek Racecourse

The lightly raced filly Starspangled Baby and the veteran mare Rendelsham meet for the first time in a handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Stony Creek Racecourse in Australia on Monday.

As of Saturday, they were the 8-5 co-favorites in early betting, by far the shortest prices in a field of nine.

A 3-year-old, Starspangled Baby beat maidens in her fourth start at Sale Racecourse on Jan. 31 in a race at 1 1/16 miles. Leading throughout, Starspangled Baby won by three-quarters of a length. The Sale race was the first time Starspangled Baby had set the pace.

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

Rendelsham, a 6-year-old mare, has won 3 of 28 races, including her last start in a modest handicap at a mile on Jan. 24 at Great Western Racecourse in the small city by the same name northwest of Melbourne.

Rendelsham ended a 20-race losing streak over 23 months on Jan. 24, a span with nine second- or third-place finishes. Rendelsham, who tends to run as a stalker, was beaten a short neck in a handicap at 1 1/4 miles at Terang Racecourse in November.

Starspangled Baby and Rendelsham are the only runners in Monday’s race who won their last starts. This race is a slight class drop for Big Acheeva, who was ninth in a seven-furlong handicap at Sale on Jan. 31.

Big Acheeva will race without blinkers for the first time in his 10th start on Monday. Big Acheeva’s only win was a maiden race in his fourth start in a seven-furlong race on the synthetic track at Ballarat last June.

Stony Creek Racecourse is located southeast of Melbourne near the Australian southern coast. Starspangled Baby and Rendelsham are part of the fifth of eight races that begins at 9:30 p.m. Eastern, or 6:30 p.m. Pacific, on Sunday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.