Sapphire Clown sharp for Wednesday's Sandown feature
With any luck, Sapphire Clown would be sporting a two-race winning streak in advance of a start in a five-furlong handicap at Sandown Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, on Wednesday.
Bred and initially raced in New Zealand, Sapphire Clown won his second start in Australia in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Scone Racecourse on July 26 and was beaten a nose in a five-furlong handicap at Sandown on Aug. 26, closing from last in a field of eight as the 3-1 second choice.
Trained by Colin Little, Sapphire Clown has won 2 of 4 starts in a career that began with a win in a maiden race in his debut in New Zealand in May. In his first three starts, including a third-place finish in his Australian debut on July 9, Sapphire Clown has disputed the pace or raced as a stalker.
Wednesday’s race is the seventh race on a nine-race program that begins at 10:25 p.m., Eastern, or 7:25 p.m., Pacific on Tuesday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
Sapphire Clown is part of a 12 and should be a slight favorite in a competitive field that includes the mares Lesage and Propelle and the gelding Scipio.
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Lesage, trained by Jason Cummings for Godolphin Racing, has won 3 of 9 starts. She won consecutive starts in handicaps at five furlongs and 5 1/2 furlongs in April, but was eighth of 10 in a handicap at Royal Randwick on May 9 as the 7-2 favorite. Lesage often sets the pace, which could force jockey Craig Williams to take a stalking position aboard Sapphire Clown.
Propelle won a five-furlong handicap at Caulfield Racecourse on Aug. 15 from off the pace, ending an 11-race losing streak since April 2019.
Scipio has won three of his last four starts, but has not raced since winning a five-furlong handicap at Sandown on March 18. A winner of 3 of 10 starts, Scipio won a maiden race at Cranbourne Racecourse last December in his first start since March 2019, suggesting he can be effective following a layoff.