Australia: Strad in position to notch consecutive wins
It took six races, but the Australian gelding Strad finally won a maiden race at Mornington Racecourse outside of Melbourne on Oct. 7.
The way Strad closed from off the pace to record a convincing win by 2 1/2 lengths in the five-furlong race suggests he can win consecutive races for the first time in his career in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Ballarat Racecourse on Monday.
The Ballarat program is the most prominent card in Australia on Monday, a day before the famous Melbourne Cup program at Flemington Racecourse.
Ballarat has an eight-race program beginning at 10 p.m. Eastern or 7 p.m. Pacific on Sunday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
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Strad, trained by Jim Conlan, is part of a field of 12 and among a group with leading chances that includes She’s Booming, Rising Sphere and Duke of Neworleans.
This will be Strad’s first start at 5 1/2 furlongs, a distance that will work for expected favorite She’s Booming, a 4-year-old filly. She’s Booming has started three times, but has not raced since a fourth by 2 1/2 lengths in a handicap at six furlongs at Ballarat in April.
Duke of Neworleans, a winner of 2 of 7 starts, has not raced since mid-August, when he finished last of 10 in a seven-furlong handicap at Cranbourne Racecourse. His win in a six-furlong handicap at Sale in July would make him competitive against this field.
Rising Sphere takes a slight drop in class from an eighth-place distance at the curious distance of 4 3/4 furlongs at Moonee Valley on Oct. 1 against a moderately tougher field. Rising Sphere won consecutive starts in five-furlong handicaps on the synthetic track at Ballarat within a week in August.
Rising Sphere’s lone turf win in 11 starts was a maiden race at six furlongs at Sandown Racecourse in Melbourne last December. Rising Sphere tends to run near the front, and could have a favorable trip against this group.