Australia: Chimes in good form for Hawkesbury handicap

Chimes was rested after she finished 10th of 14 in the Group 3 Quezette Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 3-year-old fillies at Caulfield Racecourse in Australia last August, her second loss in a span of two weeks.

Through the Australian spring and summer, Chimes was sidelined, returning a game second by about 1 3/4 lengths in a handicap at 5 3/4 furlongs on the infield Beaumont course at Newcastle. The comeback should serve as an ideal prep race for her second start of the year in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Hawkesbury Racecourse on Tuesday.

Trained by Adrian Bott and Gai Waterhouse, Chimes will be ridden by Tim Clark, who was aboard the filly for a win in her debut last March. More recently, Clark was aboard Chimes for two schooling races, or barrier trials, in February and March.

Chimes tends to run near the front, and has drawn the outside post in a field of 12, indicating she is likely to be near the lead to save ground.

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Chimes will carry 126.7 pounds, slightly less than topweight Selhurst Park at 130. Selhurst Park won a maiden race at 4 1/2 furlongs in his seventh start on March 26 and is another potential frontrunner. Selhurst Park was a good second by three-quarters of a length in a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Hawkesbury on Feb. 8 in his lone start at the track.

The 4-year-old filly Rock My Wand was also assigned topweight of 130 pounds, but will carry 125.6 pounds because of the presence of apprentice jockey Ellen Hennessy.

Rock My Wand, who drew the rail, has 1 win in 19 starts, and has not raced since a sixth against a better class of handicap runners at Warwick Farms last October. Rock My Wand tends to run from off the pace, so the inside draw may not be a hindrance.

Hawkesbury, located northwest of Sydney, has a seven-race program, beginning at 11:35 p.m. Eastern, or 8:35 p.m. Pacific on Monday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.