Australia: Mabel well-spotted for return at Hawkesbury

After the Australian filly Mabel was ambitiously tried in three lucrative handicaps in February and March, losing each race, she was given a seven-month rest.

The layoff ends when Mabel starts in a more reasonable race – a five-furlong handicap against a lower class of rivals at Hawkesbury Racecourse near Sydney on Tuesday evening across American time zones.

As of early Monday, Mabel was the 3-1 second choice in a field of seven behind the gelding Dalavin who has won the last five races in which he has completed.

Mabel has won 3 of 11 starts, with all the victories at five furlongs. Earlier this year, she won consecutive races in handicaps at Muswellbrook and Tamworth, closing from off the pace.

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At Hawkesbury, Mabel drew the inside in a field of seven and will be ridden for the first time by apprentice Anna Roper.

Mabel cannot be criticized too harshly for her losses in February and March, considering those were higher-profile races against much better runners.

Dalavin lost jockey Grant Buckley a few strides after the start of a lucrative handicap at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Nov. 1. A winner of 8 of 16 starts, Dalavin will be ridden by apprentice Ellen Hennessy at Hawkesbury from post 2.

When things go well for Dalavin at the start, he often disputes the pace, a style that led to five straight wins from early July to mid-October at distances ranging from five furlongs to six furlongs.

The Hawkesbury sprint is a drop in class for Smuggler’s Bay, who won consecutive five-furlong handicaps in July and early September, but was 11th of 12 in a tougher handicap at six furlongs at Warwick Farm in his most recent start on Sept. 14. Smuggler’s Bay is a threat as a stalker.

Hawkesbury has an eight-race program beginning at 9:25 p.m. Eastern or 6:25 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

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