Australia: Iconic Dame should appreciate softer spot at Goulburn

With three wins in her first six starts, there were high hopes for Iconic Dame when she returned to racing after a five-month layoff in Australia last month.

The comeback did not go as planned. Iconic Dame finished ninth and sixth in two handicaps at tracks in the Sydney area.

For her third start back, Iconic Dame has a more reasonable assignment – a modest handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Goulburn Racecourse on Sunday evening.

Iconic Dame was the even-money favorite in a field of 10 in early betting on Saturday. Trained by Jamie Stewart, Iconic Dame won consecutive starts in June and July in handicaps at five furlongs at Sapphire Coast and at 5 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens in early July.

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Iconic Dame was rested for most of the second half of 2022 after a fourth-place finish in a six-furlong handicap at Rosehill Gardens in late July. In her two comeback races, Iconic Dame was beaten a little more than 3 1/2 lengths and slightly less than 4 1/2 lengths. A sixth-place finish in a six-furlong race at Rosehill Gardens on Jan. 7 was better than it looked, considering she made some progress in the final furlong.

At Goulburn, Iconic Dame will be ridden by Tyler Schiller, who rode the filly to a win in July. Iconic Dame races from off the pace and should have a pace to follow.

A quick pace will help Unique Prince, a winner of 3 of 12 starts who has not raced since July. A 5-year-old gelding, Unique Prince won a six-furlong handicap at Narrandera on July 17 and was rested after an eight-place finish at Canberra five days later.

In 2021, Unique Prince won following a layoff of more than five months, so the gap between starts may not be an issue.

Dragons Breath can set the pace. The 5-year-old gelding led throughout a six-furlong handicap at Moruya on Jan. 2, ending a seven-race losing streak since November 2021.

Goulburn has a seven-race program beginning at 9:50 p.m. Eastern or 6:50 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

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