Australia: Win streaks on line when King Kikau, Moon Over Alice meet in Monday handicap

For the first time in their careers, the gelding King Kikau and mare Moon Over Alice are on two-race-winning streaks in Australia.

King Kikau has rallied from off the pace to win two one-mile handicaps since late January, while Moon Over Alice has led throughout two sprints in the same time span.

Barring a dead heat, at least one of the winning streaks will end when they meet for the first time in a one-mile handicap at Taree Racecourse on Monday evening. They are two of four leading candidates in a field of 10.

King Kikau may have a home-course advantage. His two recent wins were in one-mile races at Taree, where King Kikau is part of trainer Wayne Wilkes’ stable. King Kikau has won 3 of 20 starts, with all the wins at Taree.

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Moon Over Alice will start at a mile and at Taree for the first time on Monday evening. Her recent wins were at 6 3/4 furlongs and seven furlongs at Newcastle Racecourse.

Moon Over Alice will be an early target not only for King Kikau, but also Casirina and Reward Seeker.

Casirina was second by 1 3/4 lengths in a handicap at 6 1/4 furlongs at Taree on Feb. 19, and won a one-mile handicap at the course in November, his lone win in five career starts at the distance. A winner of 5 of 32 starts, Casirina runs from off the pace.

Reward Seeker ended a 14-race losing streak since March 2021 with a one-length win at 8-1 in the Quirindi Cup at a mile at Quirindi Racecourse on Feb. 17. Reward Seeker closed from eighth in a field of 14 to win by almost a length.

Taree has an eight-race program beginning at 9:15 p.m. Eastern, or 6:15 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

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