In his brief career, Ashford Street has developed a sharp rally that has led to three wins in seven starts in Australia, all since mid-July.
The three victories have been in races at 5 1/2 furlongs and have been achieved by at least a length. That kick may serve Ashford Street well when he starts in the shortest race of his career in a five-furlong handicap at Cranbourne Racecourse on Thursday.
Leale, an Australian-bred 5-year-old, won for the fourth time in her career in a one-mile handicap for fillies and mares on the Lakeside course at Sandown Park in Melbourne in June.
The last few months have been tougher for her, with two fourth-place finishes and a fifth, all against fillies and mares in handicaps at Melbourne-area tracks.
Trained by Michael Kent, Leale returns to the Lakeside course as the likely pacesetter in a handicap for fillies and mares at a mile on Wednesday.
At the age of 8, Social Element has found his niche in recent months in Australian steeplechases.
The gelding is unbeaten in four starts since June over the tougher obstacles at distances ranging from about 2 1/8 miles to 2 5/8 miles. Sunday at Ballarat Racecourse, Social Element will start in the richest race of his career in the $256,060 Grand National Steeplechase at 2 13/16 miles, his longest race.
Trained by Gai Waterhoue and Adrian Bott, Social Element was even money in early betting on Friday in a race with seven entrants.
Inspirational Girl began 2020 racing and often winning overnight races in Perth, Australia. She ended the year a Group 1 winner with a record of 9 wins in 12 career starts.
This year will be different. Inspirational Girl has switched stables, and is now based with trainer Danny O’Brien in Melbourne. The first goal is Saturday’s Group 1 Memsie Stakes at seven furlongs at Caulfield Racecourse, the launch of an Australian spring campaign that may include starts in the country’s top races, such as the Cox Plate or Melbourne Cup.
Benbatl makes his first start since last September on Saturday at Goodwood Racecourse in England, heading a field of 10 set to line up in the Group 2 Celebration Mile.
Seven-year-old Benbatl has won Group 1 races in Dubai, Germany, and Australia and was third racing on dirt in the Saudi Cup in February 2020. His next start didn’t come until September, when Benbatl was third in the Joel Stakes, and the Godolphin homebred, trained by Charlie Appleby, hasn’t started since.
His main opposition figures to come from a trio of 3-year-olds, Chindit, Mutasaabeq, and Perotto.
Unraced since October, the Group 1 winner Alligator Blood will carry 134.4 pounds in Friday’s listed Goldmarket Stakes at six furlongs at Gold Coast Racecourse in Australia, spotting 12 rivals 13 to 15 pounds.
Alligator Blood underwent back surgery which led to the lengthy layoff. A winner of 9 of 15 starts, including four stakes, Alligator Blood was previously trained by David Vandyke, but was moved to the stable of 23-year-old Billy Healey for his comeback.
Good, soft, or heavy turf does not seem to matter to Barmah Al. The 6-year-old Australian-bred gelding has won on all three types of conditions.
What is vital is distance. Barmah Al has won at distances ranging from 1 5/16 miles to 1 1/2 miles in his 24-race career. Trained by Daryl Archard, Barmah Al may be better suited to 1 5/16, the length of his next start in a handicap at Echuca Racecourse in Australia on Thursday.
Barmah Al was a slight favorite at 3-1 in early betting on Tuesday in a field of 11.
American-owned and England-based Spanish Mission is headed to Australia as the early favorite for the Nov. 2 Melbourne Cup.
Spanish Mission raced Aug. 20 at York, finishing second by a head to the legendary Stradivarius in the Group 1 Lonsdale Cup over 2 1/16 miles.
Owned by Team Valor International and Gary Barber and trained by Andrew Balding, Spanish Mission is expected to be shipped to Australia the second week in September and could prep for the Melbourne Cup in the Oct. 16 Caulfield Cup.
Golden Pal, seventh as the favorite Aug. 20 in the Group 1 Nunthorpe at York, was set to return to the U.S. on Tuesday looking no worse for his defeat, trainer Wesley Ward said Monday.
Golden Pal set a strong pace in the five-furlong, straight-course Nunthorpe but had nothing for the final furlong, fading out of the frame.
Ghodeleine finished with a remarkable rally to be third in a handicap at 1 1/4 miles at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, on Aug. 17, closing from the back of a field of 16 through the stretch to miss by three-quarters of a length.
A 7-year-old mare, Ghodeleine will start in a slightly longer race at Sandown Racecourse on Wednesday in a handicap against males at 1 5/16 miles. She will be favored in a field of 12.
