The older horses Big Duke, Chief Ironside, and Sixties Groove were foaled in Great Britain and Ireland, and won the first races of their careers in Britain before being exported to Australia. They are all trained by Kris Lees, have won group-level races, and started, with mixed results, in Group 1 races in the last year. They are the three highest-weighted horses in Friday’s $103,200 Scone Cup at a mile at Scone Racecourse, north of Sydney. :: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for Australian racing Sixties Groove will carry top weight of 134.4 pounds, slightly more than Big Duke and Chief Ironside at 129. While they may be at the top of the weights, they may not be at the top of the betting in a competitive field of 16. The distance may be shorter than Sixties Groove and Big Duke would prefer. The Scone Cup is part of an eight-race program that begins at 10:20 p.m. Eastern, or 7:20 p.m. Pacific, on Thursday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com. Sixties Groove was third in the Group 1 Doomben Cup last May and later won the Group 2 Brisbane Cup at 1 1/2 miles at Eagle Farm Racecourse last June. Sixties Groove is a closer. A 7-year-old gelding, Sixties Groove has not raced at a mile since a third in a handicap at Ballarat Racecourse in September 2018. Big Duke, a Group 2 winner at 1 5/8 miles in 2017, is winless in his last 22 starts. He was last of 18 in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup last October, one of Australia’s most prestigious races. Similar to Sixties Groove, Big Duke has frequently raced at marathon distances. The Scone Cup distance is a better fit for Chief Ironside, a 5-year-old horse. He won the Group 2 Crystal Mile Stakes from a stalking position at Moonee Valley Racecourse last October and was later 15th of 16 in the Group 1 Cantala Stakes, a $1.3 million race at a mile at Flemington Racecourse last November. Chief Ironside was 10th of 14 at 20-1 in a handicap at a seven furlongs at Royal Randwick on April 18 in his first start of 2020. Race conditions look favorable for Live and Free and Archedemus, who were second and third in the Group 3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup at 7 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens on April 25, and Phaistos, the winner of a handicap at seven furlongs on the inner turf course at Royal Randwick on May 2, which is known as the Kensington course. Phaistos will have his stakes debut in the Scone Cup, a listed race, and will carry 119 pounds.