Australia: Unwavering Faith stretching out for Cessnock Cup

Since mid-April, the 5-year-old mare Unwavering Faith has won 3 of 6 starts in Australia at distances ranging from 7 1/2 furlongs to a mile. In each win, she closed from off the pace to take a late lead.

The style suggests Unwavering Faith will handle a longer distance, such as Monday’s Cessnock Cup at 1 5/16 miles at Newcastle Racecourse, north of Sydney. This is a new distance for Unwavering Faith, who has won 3 of 9 starts in her career for owner and trainer Nathan Doyle.

Unwavering Faith was 4-1 in early betting on Saturday, slightly behind Birdonawinningpost at 7-2 and Marakopa at 4-1.

Birdonawinningpost, also a 5-year-old mare, has won 4 of 14 starts. She won a handicap at 1 5/16 miles at Tamworth on Sept. 13, and has since finished second in a handicap at about 1 1/8 miles at Newcastle on Oct. 2, and fifth in a handicap at 1 1/2 miles at Warwick Farm Racecourse on Oct. 13.

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Birdonawinningpost has a tendency to race near the front and is likely to talk a stalking position behind Arabolini, who was second in the Warwick Farm race on Oct. 13.

Marakopa has won at distances ranging from 1 1/8 miles to 1 9/16 miles, and should be well suited to this trip. A 5-year-old gelding, Marakopa was third by 1 3/4 lengths in a handicap at 1 1/8 miles at Hawkesbury on Oct. 10 in his first start since early August. The recent start could benefit the gelding, who tends to run as a stalker.

Monday’s eight-race program at Newcastle will be run on the infield Beaumont course. The Cessnock Cup begins in the stretch and does slightly more than one circuit.

Post time is 10:20 p.m. Eastern, or 7:20 p.m. Pacific, on Sunday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.