Australia: Weight assignment makes Swanston attractive in competitive Ballina cup

Swanston has accomplished enough in his career in Australia to rate among the leading contenders in Friday’s Ballina Cup at Ballina Racecourse without having to carry a burdensome weight.

A 4-year-old gelding, Swanston has won 6 of 21 and has been in excellent form the last two months. Trained by Greg Kilner, Swanston won consecutive starts in handicaps at seven furlongs at Grafton Racecourse on Nov. 28 and at 6 3/4 furlongs at Doomben on Dec. 10 before finishing second to the former stakes runner Wonderful Riri in a lucrative handicap at 6 3/4 furlongs at Doomben on Dec. 26.

The Ballina Cup is run at just shy of a mile and drew an open field of 14. Ballina has an eight-race program at 9:35 p.m. Eastern or 6:35 p.m. Pacific on Thursday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

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The full field lacks a heavy favorite. Swanston was the 5-1 joint second choice on Wednesday along with The Fire Trap. Kedah was the early 4-1 favorite.

Swanston, who races as a stalker, has won at a mile, but has raced in longer sprints in recent starts. In the Ballina Cup, Swanston will be ridden for the fourth time in his last five starts by Leah Kilner, and will carry 122.3 pounds.

Haky will carry top weight of 130 pounds largely on the basis of a high handicap rating achieved in 2020 when he was group stakes-placed. Haky, winless in 14 starts since April 2020, was 16-1 on Wednesday.

Kedah was second by 1 1/2 lengths in a handicap at 6 3/4 furlongs at Doomben on Jan. 1, closing with interest. Kedah is winless in his last eight starts, but the recent second will draw support.

The Fire Trap was second to Ballina Cup starter Jacksprat in a one-mile handicap at Ballina on Dec. 27 in his second start in a nine-day span following a layoff of nearly five months. Jacksprat set the pace at Ballina on Dec. 27 and could do the same in this competitive race.

The Fire Trap has had numerous layoffs in the last year, but the recent second was his best race since a win in a six-furlong handicap at Warwick Farm in July 2020.