Dick Powell’s Australian Pick of the Week May 1

Race 3 at Warrnambool (Australia A) on Wednesday night is a seven-furlong benchmark 78 handicap for fillies and mares. The track is expected to be “Soft-7,” so horses with wet-track form should be noted. CASA DE LAGO (#1) (15-2) is a four-year-old filly who likes to rally from off the pace and has excelled on wet tracks. Off a rest similar to this, she got up in time going six furlongs at Moonee Valley and then came back there to be beaten less than a length going a mile. Off for four months, she had a barrier trial to get her ready and should come out running. Post 7 won’t bother her since she will drop back early, and the bay miss gets Billy Egan to ride (20 percent last 50 starts and 68 percent in the money). Trainer Patrick Payne wins 30 percent with his last 50 starters and aggressively spots this one. LORICAIN (#2) (3-1) is by Americain, who won the 2010 Melbourne Cup (G1) on bottomless ground, and this four-year-old filly should be able to handle the same conditions. She’s been off for about four months but was a sharp winner two starts back going longer over this turf course. Her last start was a rallying fifth going 1 1/4 miles after an awkward start and she drops seven pounds off that effort. Despite her recent starts going longer, she broke her maiden in her career debut going seven furlongs. ROOM TO RHYME (#8) (15-1) is a wet-track specialist who moves up some in class but gets her kind of turf course in this spot. Three starts back in June, the five-year-old mare won on a soft course and then came back with a second on heavy going. When you isolate on her record to just soft and heavy course conditions, she is very good and lightly raced enough to still have an upside. Casa de Lago gets her kind of turf course today and should be able to handle the move up in class. Don’t forget Twin Spires’ Australian Racing Bet Back offer where you may receive $5 win bet back on Australian A tracks Monday through Thursday if you opt in and play at least four races on a single day using the new TwinSpires platform. If you finish second, you get up to $5 back per race with a maximum of $50 maximum bonus per player each week.