With two wins in his last four starts, Oh No Bro has never been sharper in his 23-race career in Australia.
A 6-year-old gelding, Oh No Bro’s recent wins have come at one of the lower levels of the handicap division, a group he faces again in a one-mile handicap at Narromine Racecourse on Monday evening.
The only reason Oh No Bro’s weight assignment has not soared because of his recent success is the occasional booking of apprentice jockeys.
The opportunity for a surprise win came and went for the Australian gelding Don’t Thinkaboutit when he finished a close second at 30-1 in a handicap at Queanbeyan Racecourse on Sept. 4.
The 5-year-old gelding’s backers must settle for a drastically shorter price when Don’t Thinkaboutit starts as a likely favorite in a seven-furlong handicap at Nowra Racecourse on Saturday evening.
Don’t Thinkaboutit was 3-1 in early betting, a slight choice over Lady Tabloid and Snappy Jim at 7-2 and Cartography at 4-1.
By Leo Schlink
Sidelined with serious injury during Hong Kong racing’s off-season, Vincent Ho hopes Dream Winner can provide the perfect return to competition when Frankie Lor’s unbeaten sprinter contests the Class 2 Causeway Bay Handicap (1000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (17 September).
Sprinters in Sydney and milers in Melbourne highlight racing at Royal Randwick and Flemington racecourses on Friday night in Australia.
Both tracks have major stakes with former American runners.
The 4-year-old Australian-bred filly In Secret will be favored to win the Group 2 Shorts Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs at Randwick. Trained by James Cummings for Godolphin Racing, In Secret won the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap at six furlongs at Flemington in March and was later seventh in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes at Randwick in April.
By Leo Schlink
In a meeting of firsts, Keagan De Melo and Andrea Atzeni celebrated significant breakthrough victories with momentum-building triumphs at Happy Valley’s season-opening fixture on Wednesday night (13 September).
Recruited to bolster Hong Kong’s world-class jockey ranks, reigning South African champion De Melo and European Classic-winning Atzeni showcased impressive credentials in decisive fashion at only the second meeting of the season with the fourth and fifth rides, respectively.
European imports may dominate three Group 3 races on the Newcastle Gold Cup program on the East Coast of Australia on Thursday evening.
Cleveland, winner of the prestigious Chester Cup in Britain in 2022, is the 3-1 favorite in early betting to win for the first time in his career in Australia in the $192,800 Newcastle Gold Cup at Newcastle Racecourse, provided he can overcome a wide trip in the turf marathon.
There is no doubt that Frilled is a fast filly in Australia. Two wins in as many starts in April and May showed that.
How she will fare after a four-month layoff is one of the few unknown factors in Frilled’s appearance in a five-furlong handicap at Kembla Grange Racecourse on Wednesday evening.
Frilled is expected to win, judging from early betting. She was even money on Tuesday to extend her success against seven rivals.
