The 7-year-old Australian-bred gelding Buster Block started at 1 1/4 miles for the first time when he was second in the Mackay Cup on July 31, finishing 4 1/4 lengths behind Best Hoffa.

Friday at Townsville Racecourse, Best Hoffa will be favored at about 3-1 in the Townsville Cup, against a field that will include Buster Block, who is likely to be around 12-1. A weight difference between the two runners makes Buster Block an attractive alternative to the deserving favorite in his second start at the distance.

Gary West, co-owner of Maximum Security with his wife, has responded to the decision by Saudi Arabian horse racing officials to continue to withhold the winning purse of the inaugural Saudi Cup by urging the country’s authorities to make their investigation into the matter “transparent,” including releasing any test results that would indicate that Maximum Security had been administered an illegal substance.

The recent New Zealand import Sig Positano and The Gauch, unraced since December, start in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Sale Racecourse in Australia on Thursday with both facing key questions.

Sig Positano is winless in five starts since October, but was a game second in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Echuca Racecourse in July 26 in his Australian debut. Sig Positano was the 2-1 favorite and was beaten a length in his first start since February. If he can repeat that effort, the 4-year-old Sig Positano has an excellent chance for a second career win in his ninth start.

Redoute’s Image did not have an easy time from November to March. She was beaten in her first four starts by several runners who later won or placed in stakes or lucrative statebred races.

Redoute’s Image finally won for the first time in her fifth start, in a maiden race against 2-year-old fillies at Canterbury Park on July 22, her first start in more than four months. For her 3-year-old debut in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Warwick Farm on Wednesday, Redoute’s Image will race against older fillies and mares.

Race conditions appear to favor Oksal when the 5-year-old mare has her first start since February in a six-furlong handicap Tuesday at Gosford Racecourse in Australia.

Oksal won a handicap for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs at Kembla Grange Racecourse on Jan. 29 in her third start of that month, and was second, beaten 7 1/4 lengths by Positive Peace, in a handicap for fillies and mares at 7 3/4 furlongs on the Kensington course at Royal Randwick on Feb. 5.

Undefeated Earthlight returns to the spotlight Sunday at Deauville in the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest.

Earthlight went 5 for 5 as a 2-year-old with Group 1 wins in the Prix Morny and the Middle Park Stakes. His trainer, Andre Fabre, and owner, Godolphin, gave him an easy 3-year-old debut, Earthlight dominating a listed race last month at Deauville, and Earthlight will have to be on his game to win Sunday’s 6 1/2-furlong contest.

The last time Tatunka ran at Bendigo Racecourse in Australia he won his third consecutive sprint race in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs on June 21.

The streak ended with a second-place finish at Caulfield on July 11, followed by an eighth at Moonee Valley Racecourse on Aug. 11, races against tougher horses at two of Australia’s top venues.

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There have been times in the last 18 months when Eduardo has raced against some of the best sprinters in Australia.

A 7-year-old gelding, Eduardo was third in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate at 5 1/2 furlongs in February 2019. He was 16^th in the Group 1 Newmarket Stakes a month later and seventh in the Group 1 Moir Stakes last September.

There are sprinters and then there is the speedy group in the fifth race at Ipswich Racecourse in Australia on Friday.

They will compete at four furlongs, a specialty distance for many starters in the field of nine, and understandably the shortest of seven races on the program.

Sertin, a 4-year-old Australian-bred gelding, will be the rightful favorite. He won a handicap at a half-mile at Ipswich on July 3 in his first start in nearly five months and followed with a victory in a handicap at 4 1/2 furlongs at Gold Coast on July 18.

Jazzland is the sort of veteran runner that wins in certain circumstances.

In his 19-race career in Australia, Jazzland has won seven times, leading throughout in six of those victories. He has not won from off the pace since a maiden race in November 2018 in his second start.

Jazzland’s predictable style will be on display in Thursday’s Coffs Harbour Cup at a mile at Coffs Harbour Racecourse, north of Sydney. This time, however, Jazzland, who will carry 124.5 pounds, may face early pressure from Sikandarabad, the 132-pound topweight, and Rexx, who will carry 121 pounds.