Australia: Allapercanto takes on boys, tries longer distance in Monday handicap

The 3-year-old Australian filly Allapercanto will face males for the first time and race at the longest distance of her brief career in a handicap at about 1 1/8 miles at Newcastle Racecourse on Monday evening.

Despite those challenges, Allapercanto will be a heavy favorite in a field of nine in the second race on a seven-race program that begins at 10:50 p.m. Eastern or 7:50 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Allapercanto, trained by John Hawkes and his sons Michael and Wayne, was second by 1 1/4 lengths in her debut in a maiden race at six furlongs at Kembla Grange on Aug. 26, and won a seven-furlong maiden race in her second start at Newcastle on Sept. 13.

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In both races, Allapercanto closed from off the pace, an important point since she has drawn the rail for Sunday evening’s race.

The veteran gelding Go Troppo is Allapercanto’s main opposition even though he has lost his last 12 starts since June 2022. Go Troppo was third in a handicap at 1 1/8 miles at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Sept. 30, racing near the front before fading to lose by slightly less than a length.

The Randwick race was run on a Saturday. Weekend races at Randwick often draw much tougher fields than a weekday group assembled at Newcastle.

The Newcastle race will also be a distance test for Princess Rayaa, a 4-year-old filly who won a maiden race at a mile with an enhanced purse at Kembla Grange on Sept. 23, racing near the front throughout. She was second in her three preceding starts at distances ranging from 6 3/4 furlongs to 7 3/4 furlongs from mid-July to early September.

Allapercanto was the 6-5 favorite in early betting on Sunday, a shorter price than Go Troppo (5-2) and Princess Rayaa (7-2).

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