Australia: Think We're Due brings dangerous speed to Ballarat handicap
Think We’re Due has often been a quick horse, particularly when racing at distances of a mile or greater. Lately, Think We’re Due has used that speed for a consistent run of form, winning two of his last three starts in Australia.
A 5-year-old Southern Hemisphere gelding, Think We’re Due starts in a handicap at 1 1/4 miles Sunday at Ballarat Racecourse, northwest of Melbourne. Conditions appear to be in his favor.
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Think We’re Due won consecutive starts at 1 1/4 miles at Moonee Valley Racecourse on March 13 and Cranbourne Racecourse on April 3 before finishing third by about three-quarters of a length in the $127,200 Gold Heath Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse on April 18 in the richest race of his career.
Think We’re Due, a winner of 4 of 17 starts, has only six rivals in Sunday’s $29,385 handicap at Ballarat. Think We’re Due is trained by Andrew Noblet, who is based at Ballarat. This will be Think We’re Due’s first start at the course.
The nine-race Ballarat program begins at 10:10 p.m. Eastern, or 7 p.m. Pacific on Saturday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
Think We’re Due, who will carry 131 pounds, is the quickest horse in the field, which includes the improving British-bred gelding Shepard and the 6-year-old mare Wheal Leisure
Shepard, who will carry 127.80 pounds, won three consecutive starts at 1 3/8 miles or 1 1/2 miles last September and October before being rested through the Australian summer. Shepard was fifth in his comeback at 1 1/8 miles in February and second as the 8-5 favorite at 1 1/16 miles at Geelong on April 15. This longer trip Sunday should be a better fit.
Wheal Leisure, who was group stakes-placed in 2017, won four of her first nine starts in 2016 and 2017 but is winless in her last 15 starts. She was ninth of 12 in a $63,000 handicap at a mile at Flemington Racecourse on April 25.
Wheal Leisure has been assigned 131 pounds.
First Crush, an 8-year-old gelding, will carry top weight of 136.60 pounds. A winner of 7 of 48 starts, First Crush won a minor stakes in 2018 and ran in group-level stakes as recently as last May without success.