Australia: Cholante faces easier task at Hawkesbury
Scratched from a race against males earlier this week, Cholante will start favored in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs for fillies and mares at Hawkesbury Racecourse in Australia on Wednesday evening.
Cholante, a winner of 2 of 7 starts, will carry topweight of 135.5 pounds against eight opponents and starts from the inside post. The draw may not make a significant difference for Cholante since the 4-year-old filly runs from off the pace.
This will be Cholante’s first start since a third-place finish in a handicap at a slightly higher class level against fillies and mares on the infield Kensington course at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in March.
Races at Randwick tend to draw tougher fields than races at Hawkesbury.
Cholante, trained by the father-son team of Richard and Will Freedman, is winless in four starts since a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Wyong Racecourse in September 2022. Cholante was tried without success in two stakes in September and October 2022. The race at Randwick in March is her only start this year.
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Cholante will have a target at Hawkesbury in Gilmore, who will be the second choice and is expected to race near the front.
Gilmore, who is quick enough to lead, won a maiden race in her fourth start at Wyong in April, and is winless in her last four races, including a game second in a five-furlong handicap at Kembla Grange on Oct. 7. Gilmore set the pace and was beaten a neck as the 6-5 favorite.
Perfect Proposal could give Gilmore company early. A maiden race winner at 5 1/2 furlongs at Nowra in August in her fifth start, Perfect Proposal has since finished seventh and second.
In her last start, Perfect Proposal raced near the front throughout a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Gosford Racecourse on Oct. 5 and finished second, beaten slightly more than a length.
Perfect Proposal will carry 130 pounds, less than Gilmore at 133.
Hawkesbury has an eight-race program beginning at 10:10 p.m. Eastern or 7:10 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
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