Plein Ciel could be price play in Cranbourne Cup

From Sept. 18 through Friday, Australian trainer Danny O’Brien won with 10 of 50 starters. From that group, O’Brien had another eight runners finish second, including Plein Ciel in the Group 3 JRA Stakes at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne on Sept. 25.

The high-profile stable starts Plein Ciel in Sunday’s Cranbourne Cup at about 1 1/4 miles, conditions that should be a good fit for the German-bred gelding, who is recognized as an 8-year-old Southern Hemisphere.

Plein Ciel, who will carry 127.8 pounds, is winless in four starts since a one-mile handicap at Moonee Valley on June 13. In the JRA Cup, Plein Ciel closed from fourth of 10 to finish 2 1/4 lengths behind Al Galayel, who had won his two previous starts and was the 5-2 favorite.

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

There will be no clear favorite among a maximum field of 15 in the Cranbourne Cup at Cranbourne Racecourse on the outskirts of Melbourne. The Cranbourne Cup is part of a program that begins at 9:40 p.m. Eastern, or 6:40 p.m. Pacific, on Saturday.

Nonconformist, a 4-year-old Southern Hemisphere gelding, was the slight choice in early betting as of Friday, at 9-2. Dr. Drill was 6-1, closely followed by Plein Ciel at 7-1.

Nonconformist has won 3 of 8 starts, including the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes at about 1 1/4 miles at Moonee Valley in March. More recently, Nonconformist has run twice at Caulfield, finishing third in a seven-furlong handicap on Aug. 29, but only seventh in a handicap at 1 1/16 miles on Sept. 26.

Trap for Fools is the 136.6-pound highweight in the Cranbourne Cup, largely on the basis of gaining a high handicap rating from his win in the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington Racecourse in November 2018. Trap for Fools was fifth in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Caulfield Racecourse on Sept. 26 in his first start since April.

The Underwood Stakes was won by Russian Courage, the future-book favorite for the world-famous Melbourne Cup at Flemington on Nov. 3. O’Brien trains Russian Courage.