Australia: Dancemania favored in Monday handicap at Hawkesbury

The filly Dancemania was the most recent starter for Australian trainer Wayne Austin, winning a one-mile maiden race at Gosford Racecourse on July 22.

The same filly is the next runner for Austin’s small stable when she starts in a first-condition handicap at 7 1/2 furlongs at Hawkesbury Racecourse on Monday evening.

Austin has had four horses make 24 starts this year, with two wins from the team. Dancemania needed four races to beat maidens, and won in such a manner on July 22 that she was the 5-2 co-favorite as of Sunday morning for the race at Hawkesbury.

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Dancemania will be ridden by Rory Hutchings, who was aboard the filly for her first three starts, a span that includes a second by a head in a one-mile maiden race at Gosford in June. Alysha Collett, who rode Dancemania on July 22, has two mounts at Hawkesbury on Monday evening, but does not ride the handicap at 7 1/2 furlongs. The race drew a field of eight.

Dancemania tends to run as a stalker and may have an early target in the 4-year-old filly Kokoshnik, who was also 5-2 as of Sunday. Kokoshnik won her fifth start in a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs for fillies and mares at Goulburn in May and has since finished third once and second twice in races against winners.

Kokoshnik set the pace in a one-mile handicap at Wyong on July 15 and led to the final strides before losing by a head.

Reggie’s Folly is a closer to follow. The 4-year-old gelding, winless in his last 10 starts since July 2022, finished well in a handicap at 7 1/2 furlongs at Newcastle on July 29, missing by a little more than 1 1/4 lengths after racing wide.

Hawkesbury has a seven-race program beginning at 11:05 p.m. Eastern, or 8:05 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

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