Australia: Ucalledit steps up to a group stakes following three straight wins

The New Zealand-bred gelding Ucalledit has won 8 of 15 starts in his two-year career, with all the victories in races at six and seven furlongs in New Zealand and Australia.

In the last six weeks, Ucalledit has won three consecutive races in Australia for the first time, leading to his group stakes debut in the Group 3 The Buffering Stakes at 6 3/4 furlongs at Doomben Racecourse near Brisbane, Australia on Friday evening across American time zones.

The winning streak has thrust Ucalledit to the fore of a field of 10 in The Buffering Stakes, which has a purse of $203,400.

The streak includes two starts earlier this month – an allowance race at 6 3/4 furlongs at Doomben on Dec. 3, and the listed Lough Neagh Stakes at seven furlongs at nearby Eagle Farm Racecourse on Dec. 17 by nearly two lengths as the 2-1 favorite.

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

In both wins, Ucalledit closed from a tracking position.

Ucalledit was the 7-2 second choice in early betting on Thursday behind Brigantine at 2-1, but a shorter price than Zethus at 5-1. Brigantine and Zethus are owned by Godolphin Racing and trained by James Cummings.

Brigantine is favored on the strength of third-place finishes in the Silver Eagle Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 4-year-olds at 6 1/2 furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on Oct.15 and in the Razorsharp Stakes at six furlongs at Randwick on Dec. 10. Brigantine was always near the front in the Razorsharp and was beaten slightly more than three-quarters of a length by pacesetter Sky Command.

Zethus won the Starlight Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens on Nov. 26, but was only fourth of 11 in the Falvelon Stakes at six furlongs at Doomben on Christmas Eve, losing by slightly more than 1 1/2 lengths. Zethus closed well in the final furlong of the Falvelon Stakes, missing second by about a half-length.

The Buffering Stakes is part of a nine-race program that begins at 9:03 p.m. Eastern or 6:03 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.