Australia: Experience may give Hard Faith the edge

Experience may benefit Hard Faith when the 6-year-old Southern Hemisphere mare has her 34th start in a six-furlong handicap for fillies and mares at Newcastle Racecourse in Australia on Tuesday.

Hard Faith has won five races, including her most recent outing in a five-furlong handicap at Muswellbrook on Aug. 14. Hard Faith was favored that day, in her first start in four months.

At Newcastle, Hard Faith is part of a field of eight, a group led by the lightly raced Front Money, a 4-year-old filly. Front Money won her debut in a maiden race at 4 1/2 furlongs at Newcastle in January and has been beaten in her last three starts. Front Money was fourth, by a length, in a handicap at Warwick Farm on July 29, her first start at six furlongs.

Front Money, who will carry 132 pounds, is likely to race near the front under jockey Brenton Avdulla, who was aboard the filly for a second-place finish in a five-furlong handicap at Hawkesbury on July 12.

Hard Faith, who tends to race from off the pace, will carry 127.8 pounds, well below topweight Trophies Galore at 133 pounds. Hard Faith has won at distances up to a mile and should be well placed behind the pace at Newcastle.

Trophies Galore is winless in her last seven starts. She finished fourth by about 2 3/4 lengths in a handicap at 6 1/4 furlongs at Newcastle on Aug. 22 and has the fastest turnaround of any of the fillies and mares in the field.

The youngest runner is Sweet Reply, who turned 3 on Aug. 1 on the Southern Hemisphere equine calendar.

Sweet Reply won her debut against 2-year-olds in a maiden race at Kembla Grange on May 16 and finished third two weeks later in a handicap for 2-year-olds at Rosehill Gardens, closing from seventh of eight. The Newcastle race is her third start.

At Rosehill Gardens, Sweet Reply was beaten by Anders, who won two stakes in August, including the Group 3 Demenico Stakes at six furlongs for 3-year-olds at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Sam Clipperton will ride Sweet Reply, who will carry 125.6 pounds.

The Newcastle program begins at 11:25 p.m. Eastern, or 8:25 p.m. Pacific, on Monday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.