Australia: Palaisipan makes belated stakes debut in Winx Stakes
Eight days later than scheduled, the undefeated Australian filly Palaisipan will have her stakes debut in the Group 3 Winx Stakes at Sunshine Coast Racecourse on Sunday.
The one-mile Winx Stakes was scheduled for July 3, but the program was postponed because of wet conditions.
The lineup for the Winx Stakes has changed slightly since entries were initially taken earlier this month. Palaisipan rates as a leading contender along with the filly Dzsenifer. Tamilaide was the favorite on July 3, but won the Grafton Guineas on Wednesday and is not part of Sunday’s Winx field.
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Palaisipan, trained by Chris Munce, will start at a mile for the first time in her fifth start against 15 rivals in the $131,000 Winx Stakes. Palaisipan and Dzsenifer were first and third in an allowance race for 3-year-olds at 6 3/4 furlongs at Ispwich Racecourse on June 19, separated by a half-length.
In the last three months, Palaisipan has won all four of her sprints, at distances ranging from 5 1/2 furlongs to 6 3/4 furlongs.
The Winx Stakes field includes six fillies and 10 males.
Sunshine Coast Racecourse, north of Brisbane, has a nine-race program that begins at 10:35 p.m., Eastern, or 7:35 p.m., Pacific, on Saturday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
The Winx Stakes is the most prestigious of three stakes on the program, all with the same prize money.
In the Caloundra Cup at 1 1/2 miles, Stockman will be an odds-on favorite to win his second consecutive marathon. Stockman won the McKell Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney on June 19 for his fifth win in 21 starts.
In the Glasshouse Handicap at seven furlongs, Niccanova takes a significant drop in class, having been soundly beaten in two Group 1 races since late May. A winner of 10 of 40 starts, Niccanova closed from ninth and won the Group 2 Victory Stakes at six furlongs at Eagle Farm Racecourse in Brisbane on May 1.
In the Glasshouse Handicap, Niccanova carries top weight of 133 pounds. Desert Lord, the winner of a six-furlong handicap at Ipswich on June 19 in his first start since January, will carry the minimum weight of 119 pounds in a field of 17. Desert Lord may go favored courtesy of the recent win and massive weight break.
Saturday
Malkovich’s sixth-place finish in the $760,700 Inglis Sprint at Royal Randwick Racecourse in February seems like a long time ago. Malkovich has won two of his last three starts, all in lucrative handicaps, leading to an appearance in Saturday’s Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs at Caulfield Racecourse.
As of Friday, Malkovich was the 8-5 favorite in a field of 12. The $119,800 Monash Stakes will be Malkovich’s group stakes debut in his 13th start. Malkovich is a six-time winner at distances ranging from 5 to 5 1/2 furlongs.
Jockey Jamie Kah has the mount of Malkovich. Through Friday, Kah had 99 wins at Melbourne-area tracks, needing one win to beat Brett Prebble’s record of 99.5 wins from the 1999-2000 season. In Australia, jockeys receive credit for a half-win in a dead heat.
Kah, who was winless with eight mounts at Sandown Racecourse on Wednesday, has seven mounts on Caulfield’s nine-race program, which begins at 9:50 p.m., Eastern, or 6:50 p.m., Pacific, on Friday.