Australia: Top Ranked invades from England for The Hunter Stakes
Earlier this year, the former British-trained gelding Zaaki soared through the Australian older horse division, winning six stakes, including three Group 1 races.
Zaaki is trained by Annabel Neasham, who has another British import to follow in Top Ranked. Saturday, Top Ranked will have his Australia debut in the $733,500 The Hunter Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs at Newcastle Racecourse north of Sydney.
Top Ranked, a 5-year-old Irish-bred by Dark Angel, was third in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury Racecourse in England in May and sixth in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot a month later.
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The Hunter Stakes will be Top Ranked’s first start since a fourth in the Group 2 Summer Mile at Ascot in July.
Top Ranked, previously trained by James Tate, will be ridden at Newcastle by James McDonald, who won the Melbourne Cup on Nov. 2 aboard Verry Elleegant.
Top Ranked is part of a field of maximum field of 15 led by Lost and Running, who has shown excellent form without a win in recent starts.
Lost and Running was fourth in the Group 2 Premier Stakes on Oct. 2 and the $11.05 million Everest Stakes on Oct. 16, and second by a little more than a length to the brilliant sprinter Eduardo in the $750,200 Classique Legend Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens on Oct. 30.
This will be the first start in four months for Bandersnatch, the winner of sprint stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse and Rosehill Gardens in June and July. Bandersnatch is likely to be near the front.
The 10-race Newcastle program begins at 8:20 p.m. Eastern or 5:20 p.m. Pacific on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
Last Saturday, Our Playboy won a one-mile handicap at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. A week later, Our Playboy will be favored to win the Cranbourne Cup at a mile at Cranbourne Racecourse, another Melbourne-area track.
Our Playboy is perfect in two starts at a mile, including the Group 3 Winx Guineas at the distance at Sunshine Coast in July.
The Cranbourne Cup will have a field of 15. Buffalo River, a Kentucky-bred gelding by Noble Mission, can win his richest race in the Cranbourne Cup.
A winner of 7 of 22 starts, Buffalo River won the Group 3 Moonga Stakes at seven furlongs at Caulfield Racecourse on Oct. 16, but 11th of 14 in the Group 1 Cantala Stakes at Flemington Racecourse two weeks later.
Our Playboy was the 3-1 favorite as of Wednesday, with Buffalo River at 6-1.
The Cranbourne Cup is part of a nine-race program that begins at 8:35 p.m. Eastern.