Australia: Fashchanel, McDonald formidable team at Royal Randwick
A recent win and the presence of top Australian jockey James McDonald will make Fashchanel a solid favorite to win for the fourth time in her eighth start in a seven-furlong handicap for fillies and mares on the Kensington course at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, on Wednesday.
Fashchanel, a 4-year-old New Zealand-bred mare, won a seven-furlong handicap for fillies and mares on the infield Kensington course on April 25 as the 5-2 joint favorite in a field of nine. She will be a clear favorite against eight rivals on Wednesday.
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McDonald rode Fashchanel for the fifth time on April 25, their first win as a team. Through Monday, McDonald ranked third in the jockey standings in the Australian state of New South Wales, where Sydney is located. McDonald has won with 24 percent of his mounts since the season began last August and is second in money earnings with approximately $11.6 million.
Fashchanel, trained at Randwick by John O’Shea, drew the inside post, which will put some pressure on McDonald to find a good spot with a filly who tends to run as a stalker.
McDonald is one place in the standings ahead of jockey Rachel King, who has the mount on Miss Spiteful in this race. Miss Spiteful was fifth in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs on heavy turf at Warwick Farm on May 12 and makes a quick turnaround here. The surface is predicted to be soft at Kensington.
Miss Spiteful won at six furlongs earlier in her career and should appreciate a longer distance than her start last week.
Lillium, a winner of 2 of 5 starts, tends to run as a closer and will start at seven furlongs for the first time in this field.
Lillium won a maiden race at 6 1/4 furlongs at Canterbury Park in November 2019 and has had only two subsequent starts, winning a five-furlong handicap in her comeback at Kembla Grange on April 1. She finished fourth in a six-furlong handicap at Kembla Grange on April 28.
There is a seven-race program on the Kensington course beginning at 10:50 p.m., Eastern, or 7:50 p.m., Pacific, on Tuesday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.