Australia: Swift Charm can continue winning trend in Sunday handicap

The lightly raced gelding Swift Charm has a career trending in the right direction in Australia.

A winner of 2 of 4 starts, Swift Charm will start as a solid favorite in a handicap at 6 1/4 furlongs at Taree Racecourse on Sunday evening in his second start since January.

Swift Charm was second by slightly more than two lengths in a five-furlong handicap at Grafton Racecourse on April 18, closing from sixth in a field of eight. The distance was arguably too short for Swift Charm, who did win his debut last December at five furlongs, but was sharper in a handicap in at six furlongs at Coffs Harbour in January.

Trained by Brett Dodson, Swift Charm has been effective as a closer in his brief career. Dodson is not a high-profile trainer, but has an excellent strike rate. He won with 12 of 50 runners from Nov. 18 through Tuesday.

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Swift Charm is part of a field of 10 in the fifth race on a seven-race program at Taree that begins at 10:50 p.m. Eastern or 7:50 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Jockey Matthew Bennett, who has been aboard Swift Charm for all four of his starts, has the mount at Taree.

As a closer, Swift Charm will be joined in that position by Darci Diva, a 5-year-old mare who has won 3 of 19 starts. Darci Diva has won two of her last four starts in handicaps at five furlongs at Grafton in February and at six furlongs at Port Macquarie in March.

Darci Diva finished 14th of 16 in a much tougher, and more lucrative, handicap at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on April 15, losing by seven lengths. She does not face anything of that caliber in this field.

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