Mayapple is the sort of mare who wants to be involved from the start.
After finishing third once in her first six starts in Australia, trainer Jason Coyle changed tactics. Instead of having Mayapple closing from off the pace, she was sent toward the front beginning in mid-March.
Mayapple finished fourth at 40-1 after setting the pace March 18, was beaten a short head after racing near the front on March 28, and finally won April 15 as a pacesetter.
Mark McNamara:
R1 - 1.4.10.6
R2 - 9.4.3.5
R3 - 4.8.6.10
R4 - 4.7.1.2
R5 - 7.5.6.8
R6 - 12.2.3.11
R7 - 6.11.4.8
R8 - 9.1.7.2
R9 - 7.1.10.3
Best bet R2 N9 Snowalot
Longshot R8 N9 Harmony Fire
Play R2 q/QP 3.4.9
Tom Wood:
R1: 4-10-1-7
R2: 1-9-7-4
R3: 6-8-3-10
R4: 2-4-7-1
R5: 10-8-6-7
R6: 12-2-1-9
R7: 6-8-11-1
R8: 1-7-5-9
R9: 7-8-1-10
Jockey Dean Holland died on Monday as a result of injuries sustained in a spill at Donald Racecourse in the Australia countryside, according to the state regulatory agency Racing Victoria and the Victorian Jockeys Association.
A familiar ensemble of turf marathoners starts in the Anzac Day Cup at 1 1/2 miles on the infield Kensington course at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia on Monday evening, with several meeting for the second time this month.
At Warwick Farm Racecourse on April 10, Casual Connection closed from fifth of seven to win a handicap at 1 1/2 miles by a head over pacesetter Yarrawonga. Those two are part of the Anzac Day Cup, but are likely to yield the role of favorite to Secret Glamour, who was fourth in the same race on April 10.
A minor class drop has left the 4-year-old gelding Blend as a slight favorite in a one-mile handicap at Coffs Harbour Racecourse in Australia on Sunday evening in a race with many capable contenders.
As of early Saturday, Blend was the 3-1 favorite in early betting with Gold Merchant, Ocean Flyer, Sagrado, Seething Seb and Too Much Heaven all between 9-2 and 6-1 in a field of 11.
So many leading runners makes for a tricky, but intriguing, contest.
A supporting player in group-level stakes last year, Indestructible ($18.60) was the surprise winner of Thursday’s Group 3 Craven Stakes for 3-year-old milers at Newmarket Racecourse in England in his first start for trainer Karl Burke.
The win in the $99,200 Craven Stakes is expected to lead to a start in the Group 1 English 2000 Guineas at a mile on May 6 at Newmarket for Indestructible, who is owned by Amo Racing.
Indestructible was the fourth choice in a field of seven that had a North American influence.