New Market Handicap

One of the highlight races for this Saturday in Victoria will be the New Market Handicap (G1), which is set to be held over three quarters of a mile on the turf and is open to four-year-olds and up. With a total purse of $750,000 and a track that looks like it will be set to firm for the 6:00 PM EST post time, the Group I race has attracted a total of ten horses to the starting gate. Let’s take a look through the contenders. 

1. Odd Bedfellows (IRE) – givenshared2 – M. Perez – 10/1 

Drawing the inside rail for Saturday’s race the four-year-old bay colt is returning to group company after a step down in class for his last several starts. Last month the colt started in a listed stakes race in Norway over five furlongs. The bay colt took the field from gate to wire, winning the race by half a length and setting a speed figure of one hundred eight. This stakes race was the third consecutive win for the colt, preceded by two allowance wins. The most recent group start for the colt was in February of last year during The Golden Rose (G2) at a mile where he would finish sixth. The colt has never won a Group I start, though won the The Future (G2) as a two-year-old at seven furlongs. 

2. Dub River (AUS) – 21away – M. Scott – 5/1 

Seeking his first group win, the five-year-old horse has made several attempts lately in his career. His most recent start was in New Zealand over a yielding course during the Pekays Remembrance Stakes (G1) at six furlongs. Out of the gate towards the rear of the field, the horse would make his move in the stretch but would only get up to the wire in eighth, setting a speed figure of one hundred seven. The most recent win for the horse was in November of 2021 during a listed stakes race over six furlongs in England. He was closer to the pace in this race; settled into the middle of the pack early, and making his move earlier in the race. The horse would win the race by a length.  

3. Darkness Overcome (IRE) – asrstar4 – N. Lebreche – 16/1 

Making his last three starts in New Zealand, the light grey colt by Dark Angel (IRE) has made thirteen lifetime starts before going into the starting gate for this weekends’ race. His most recent start was over six furlongs over a yielding course during the Pekays Remembrance Stakes (G1). Breaking last out of the gate during that race, the colt wasn’t able to make much progress over the off going, crossing the wire in thirteenth with a speed figure of ninety-four. The most recent win for the colt was in February of last year in the United States during the Alec and Stephen Stakes (G3) at six and a half furlongs. Again, out of the gate last, he would start gradually making his way up in the latter stages of the race and showing a good turn of foot down the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length.  

4. Wootfire (FR) – givenfame – O. A. Haack – 7/1 

The first of the geldings to go into the starting gate for our race as well as the first Group I winner and million-dollar earner. Like several of the other horses in the field, the five-year-old gelding is coming out of the Pekays Remembrance Stakes (G1) on an off track at six furlongs. Forwardly placed in third out of the gate, the gelding lost ground later in the race and crossed the wire in fifth, setting a speed figure of one hundred and eleven. The gelding’s most recent win was just in his start prior, which came in the King Kong Sprint (G1) at six furlongs in Hong Kong. The gelding took the field from gate to wire in this race, winning by three-quarters of a length. 

5. No Option Ofchoice (AUS) – coagulate6 – M. Humbo – 95/1 

The longshot of Saturday’s race, the four-year-old chestnut colt will be making his group stakes debut in this race after having started fourteen times previously. The most recent start for the Australian-bred was in an allowance race over eight and a half furlongs in Tasmania. The colt was near last out of the gate in the small six-horse field. The colt would start to fade at the midway point of the race and would cross the wire in sixth, setting a speed figure of eighty-eight. The most reent win for the colt was when he broke his maiden during his second start, which came in Ireland over five furlongs in November of 2022. 

6. Secret Of Kings (GB) – tarton5 – C. Gerhke – 5/1 

Working our way towards the back half of the field for this weekend’s race, this five-year-old horse is probably the most accomplished in the field going into the starting gate with two EOY awards and winning nearly three million in career earnings throughout his twenty-one lifetime start career. The five-year-old horse is by top sire Kingman. He most recently started in Hong Kong last December during the King Kong Sprint (G1) over six furlongs. Third out of the gate, the horse would move up into the second spot early on, but was lost back in the shuffle for the front down the stretch as he would cross the wire in third, setting a speed figure of one hundred eleven. His most recent win was in July of last year in England during The Cup Of July (G1) at six furlongs. The colt was sent out of the gate into an early second and would take over the pace at the midway point of the race, eventually going on to win by a head in a long-fought duel down the stretch. 

7. T.T.K. Writer (AUS) – thetheknot – K. Ledwith – 6/1 

Another looking for their first group win, the Australian-bred is the first of our two six-year-olds in the race and is group placed. The bay horse most recently started in the King Don Buffet (G3) over six furlongs in New Zealand earlier in the month. Out of the gate in seventh at the start, the horse would steadily pick up steam to cross the wire in fifth, just a length off the pace and setting a speed figure of one hundred seven. His most recent win was in his prior start, which came at the end of last December during a listed stakes race over five furlongs in the United States. The horse was pushed closer to the pace at the start of this race and took the lead at the midway point to win by three-quarters of a length. 

8. Wash Rinse Repeat (IRE) – appalachia – D. Raymond – 9/2 

Going into the eighth post position, this six-year-old gelding has earned over three million in lifetime winnings and is a HOY and Group I winner. The son of Sea The Stars most recently started over the yielding course in New Zealand for the Pekays Remembrance Stakes (G1) at six furlongs. Out of the gate in the latter half of the field in ninth, the gelding would fall back in the final furlongs of the race to cross the wire in eleventh, setting a speed figure of one hundred two. The gelding would see his most recent win in this very same race in January of last year. Closer to the pace early in this race, he would go to the lead at the midway point of the race and win by a neck. 

9. The Dreaming Rock (IRE) – givenstimulus – Z. Edwards – 7/2 

Returning to group company for this outing, the Irish-bred but Australian-sired bay gelding most recently stared in a listed stakes race in Italy over five and a half furlongs. Well back off the pace at the start, the five-year-old would get up to win down the stretch by half a length and set a speed figure of one hundred twelve. The gelding’s most recent group start was last November during the Euro Sprint Final (G1) at six furlongs in Belgium where he finished fifth after equaling a lifetime best speed figure that he recorded in his prior start during a win in The Sprinter Stakes (G2), in Japan, also at six furlongs.  

10. BK Admiral Kitten (SAF) – bigbird – L. Maes – 80/1 

Last up in our field for Saturday and another longshot in the far outside post, the four-year-old gelding will be making his group stakes debut in his start this weekend. Listed stakes placed in the past, the son of Admiral Kitten most recently started in Queensland during a listed stakes race over five and a half furlongs. The bay gelding was last out of the gate and would cross the wire in fourteenth while setting a speed figure of seventy-five earlier this month. The most recent win for the gelding was last April during an allowance race over four and a half furlongs here in Victoria. The gelding took the field from gate to wire to win by three-quarters of a length.  

Flrancho’s Picks: 

Win:  Wootfire (FR) 

Place: Secret Of Kings (GB) 

Show: Wash Rinse Repeat (IRE)