Australia: Princess Amira faces winners for the first time off five-month layoff

The comeback of the promising February maiden race winner Princess Amira highlights a seven-race program at Scone Racecourse in Australia on Monday.

Princess Amira, trained by the prominent Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott partnership, will have her debut against winners in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs. A 3-year-old filly by Written Tycoon, Princess Amira won her second career start by a little more than three-quarters of a length as the even-money choice against maidens at seven furlongs at Goulburn Racecourse on Feb. 7.

On July 9, Princess Amira finished first in a workout from the gate, known in Australia as a barrier trial, at 5 1/4 furlongs against nine horses at Royal Randwick as a prep for her return to racing.

Princess Amira set the pace in her maiden race win. She was third in her debut at Wyong Racecourse on Jan. 20.

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At Scone, Princess Amira is part of a full field of 14 in one of two race meetings in Australia on Monday. Racing in the state of Victoria, which includes Melbourne, has been halted for a brief winter break and will resume on Saturday.

The seven-race Scone program begins at 11:15 p.m. Eastern, or 8:15 p.m. Pacific, on Sunday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Princess Amira will be ridden for the first time by Christian Reith. The filly drew post 13, which will put some pressure on Reith to gain a favorable position in the opening furlong. Reith, who ranks 16th among jockeys in the current standings at tracks in New South Wales, won with seven of 50 mounts from June 26 through Saturday.

The Scone race will be a drop in class for Nowyunomi, a 5-year-old gelding who won a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs for his second win in his 19th start at Dubbo Racecourse on June 27. Nowyunomi followed with a fifth-place finish in a tougher handicap at seven furlongs at Royal Randwick on July 10.

Heredero, also a 5-year-old gelding, fits these conditions well, having finished third in a seven-furlong handicap at Scone on July 18, closing from well off the pace to miss by a little more than a length.