Australia: Palaisipan makes stakes debut in Winx

The Australian 3-year-old filly Palaisipan has had flawless sprint form in the last three months, going undefeated in four starts at distances ranging from 5 1/2 furlongs to 6 3/4 furlongs.

Those wins have led to Palaisipan’s stakes debut in Saturday’s Group 3 Winx Stakes at Sunshine Coast Racecourse, where she will race at a mile for the first time in a field of 16 in her fifth start. Trained by Chris Munce, Palaisipan will be ridden by apprentice Justin Huxtable, who was aboard for the filly’s second start, in a minor handicap at 6 3/4 furlongs at Ipswich Racecourse on May 3.

In that win, and the other three victories, Palaisipan raced near the front, but never pulled away from the rest of the field. Palaisipan won the May 3 race by a head and her last two starts by noses.

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The Winx Stakes field includes six fillies and 10 colts and geldings. Aside from Palaisipan, the filly Dzsenifer is another leading contender. Palaisipan and Dzsenifer were first and third in an allowance race for 3-year-olds at 6 3/4 furlongs at Ipswich on June 19, separated by a half-length.

The likely favorite is the gelding Tamilaide, who has won 2 of 5 starts. Tamilaide was second by 1 1/4 lengths as the 5-4 favorite in a handicap for 3-year-olds at about a mile at Ipswich on June 16, closing from last in a field of nine.

Sunshine Coast Racecourse, north of Brisbane, has a nine-race program that begins at 10:53 p.m. Eastern, or 7:53 p.m. Pacific, on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

The $130,690 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 around even-money to win his second consecutive distance race. 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.

Stockman is trained by Chris Waller, who also starts Wu Gok, the sixth-place finisher in the McKell Cup.

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 won the Group 2 Victory Stakes at six furlongs at Eagle Farm Racecourse in Brisbane on May 1, closing from ninth.

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 18. Desert Lord may go favorite courtesy of the recent win and massive weight break.