Australia: Starla Could Be Bad News for Favorite

An inside barrier draw could help #5 Starla beat the likely favorite #3 Great News in the Mona Lisa S. at Wyong.

The Mona Lisa, run over 1350 meters (about 6.75 furlongs) is one of two black type races at the New South Wales track on Friday (local time), and as ever, leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller looks to have a strong chance of winning.

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Starla has had an up-and-down career, winning five of her 31 starts. But the Snitzel mare has come good recently, winning her last two starts in Sydney. At her last start she was well in front of #12 More Prophets, who easily won his next start and who was second favorite in early betting for this race.

Starla has drawn barrier 4, which should give her a serious advantage at Wyong. There is a long straight run from the 1350m start, but the final turn is long and the home stretch is less than three-sixteenths of a mile, making it very hard for horses drawn wide and coming off the pace to win.

Great News, trained on the course by Kim Waugh, is clearly the form horse of the race, having finished second in the Toy Show (G3) at Randwick at her last start. But she has drawn barrier 14 of 15 and will potentially be covering a lot of extra ground. She may need to find some cover during the race to win.

The resuming #1 All Saints’ Eve has performed admirably at group one level, finishing sixth in the Coolmore Classic (G1) and eighth in the Queen of the Turf (G1) last autumn. She has won first-up and can’t be ignored.

The ace draw should help #2 Charleise, who has finished first and second in Listed races in Queensland at her last two starts. The aforementioned More Prophets looks the best of the others.

BEST PLAY

Wyong, Race 6, Friday, September 3 (local time)

$5 win/$10 show: #5 Starla

$1 exacta box: #1 All Saints’ Eve, #2 Charleise, #3 Great News, #5 Starla, #12 More Prophets.

BONUS PLAY

Wyong, Race 7, Friday, September 3 (local time)

$3 win/$6 show: #3 Inverloch put in a strong performance last week in the Premier Cup (G3) and a similar on-pace effort will make him hard to beat in the Wyong Gold Cup.