Australia: Charmmebaby can post minor upset in Queen of the North Handicap

Since Charmmebaby was transferred to trainer Bob Milligan’s stable in Australia in early 2020, the New Zealand-bred mare has won 4 of 10 starts, including her most recent race in November.

Charmmebaby has won at distances ranging from five furlongs to 7 1/2 furlongs since June, a range that gives her an excellent chance in Friday’s Queen of the North Handicap for fillies and mares at Port Macquarie Racecourse north of Sydney.

Charmmebaby has won 4 of 14 starts in her career. She was winless in her first four starts for trainers Tara and Philippe Vigourox in 2019.

The Queen of the North Handicap is run at six furlongs and drew a field of 11. Charmmebaby tends to run as a stalker. In a handicap at 7 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney on Nov. 7, Charmmebaby closed from fourth in a field of 14 to win by slightly more than a neck at 8-1.

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Judging from early betting on Wednesday, Charmmebaby is likely to be around 9-2 in the Queen of the North Handicap. Monica’s Star is expected to go favored. Island Daze and Gangika also have appealing recent form.

Monica’s Star, a winner of 3 of 8 starts, has won three of four career starts at Port Macquarie, including a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs on Oct. 9. She has since finished seventh and third in tougher handicaps and will start for the first time since Nov. 14 on Friday.

Gangika won consecutive starts at Lismore and Kempsey in October and November before finishing last of 11 at 25-1 in a handicap on the Kensington course at Royal Randwick in Sydney on Dec. 4, a much tougher field than what she will face in the Queen of the North Handicap.

Island Daze was fourth, beaten a little more than a length, in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Gold Coast Racecourse on Nov. 21.

The Port Macquarie program begins at 8:50 p.m. Eastern, or 5:50 p.m. Pacific, on Thursday. Wagering and viewing is available through DRFBets.com.