Australia: Little River ends layoff with Tuesday handicap

Little River was beaten a nose in her debut against winners at Sunshine Coast Racecourse in Australia last January, a result that looked much better in the ensuing months.

Little River lost to Simply Fly, who won his next two starts, including a $388,250 race for Queensland-bred horses at six furlongs in March.

Little River has not raced since the Sunshine Coast loss, a layoff that ends Tuesday in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs for fillies and mares at Hawkesbury Racecourse near Sydney. Trained by Joseph Pride, Little River has had three starts, with the Sunshine Coast maiden her lone win.

A 4-year-old filly, Little River is part of a field of eight at Hawkesbury, racing against several runners who are also lightly raced and have shown ample ability.

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Passistas has won 3 of 4 starts, with the lone defeat her latest start in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Gosford Racecourse on Oct. 7. She closed from sixth in a field of seven to finish a length behind the four-time winner Eyewitness. Passistas won her first two starts as a pacesetter last December.

Field Wiri, 3, won a maiden race at 3-2 at 4 1/2 furlongs at Newcastle on Oct. 12 in her third start, and first race following a layoff of more than five months. She tends to run from off the pace, and could benefit if a quick pace develops.

Blazing Line, a maiden-race winner at Nowra Racecourse in her second start on Sept. 24, could be part of the pace. Trained by Adrian Bott and Gai Waterhouse, Blazing Line was third in a maiden race at Nowra in March 2020 in her only previous start.

The handicap for fillies and mares is the second of eight races at Hawkesbury. Post time is 10:20 p.m. Eastern, or 7:20 p.m. Pacific, on Monday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.