Australia: Wyangle brings rested form to Ted Ryder Prelude

Wyangle, the 7-year-old Australian-bred gelding, returned from a six-month layoff to finish a game second by three-quarters of a length in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Wodonga Racecourse in Australia on Nov. 27.

The close finish erased two disappointing races from May for Wyangle before he was rested. Wyangle can confirm his recent form when he starts in a handicap at about a mile at Wagga Wagga Racecourse in the New South Wales countryside Monday.

Monday’s race is familiar territory for Wyangle, who won the corresponding race last December.

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Trained by Gordon Yorke since his return from the recent rest, Wyangle has won 5 of 28 starts and typically races from off the pace. Wyangle is winless in seven starts since the victory at Wagga Wagga last December. Monday’s race is formally known as the Wagga Wagga Ted Ryder Prelude.

Brodie Loy rides Wyangle; Loy will be the eighth different rider for the gelding in as many starts since Dec. 24.

Loy has won 9 of his last 50 mounts since Sept. 10. He was sidelined from early October to Nov. 21 after he was unseated during morning workouts at Warwick Farm Racecourse.

The Ted Ryder Prelude drew a field of seven and is the third race on a seven-race program that begins at 10:05 p.m. Eastern, or 7:05 p.m. Pacific, on Sunday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Wyangle’s main competition is Pecuniary Interest and Royal Thunder.

Pecuniary Interest, the mount of apprentice jockey Ellen Hennessy, was second in the Queanbeyan Cup at 1 1/4 miles at the racecourse of the same name on Nov. 22. Pecuniary Interest won consecutive races in handicaps at a mile and 1 1/8 miles in September, but is winless in his last three starts. The September wins make the 4-year-old gelding a contender.

Royal Thunder is winless in his last eight starts. He has raced at Canberra Racecourse in his last four outings, finishing second in a one-mile handicap on Oct. 23 and fourth in a one-mile handicap on Nov. 15.