Australia: Royal Dress has obstacles to overcome in handicap at Donald Racecourse

She has the least experience in a field of 10. She is a 3-year-old filly racing against older males, and she drew the outside post.

It would seem conditions would be against Royal Dress in a five-furlong handicap at tiny Donald Racecourse in Australia on Sunday. But Royal Dress has recent form that indicates she can overcame her lack of racing, and what seems to be a tough draw, to win for the third time in her fifth start.

Five-furlong races at Donald began from a chute that joins the main track on the final turn, giving Royal Dress a chance to save some ground from an outside post before the stretch run.

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Early betting indicates that the speedy Royal Dress deserves strong consideration. As of Friday, Royal Dress was the 7-2 favorite, a slight choice over Imperial Hilton and Winsum at 9-2 and The General at 5-1.

Royal Dress has another advantage through weight assignments. She will carry low weight of 122.3 pounds, compared to top weights Winsum and Yulong Knight at 134.4 pounds.

Royal Dress returned from a layoff of nearly four months to win a handicap at 4 3/4 furlongs by about a neck at Swan Hill Racecourse on June 12, racing near the front through the abbreviated race as the 3-1 favorite.

Trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, Royal Dress won her lone start of 2021 in a five-furlong maiden race last July from the front. She has been favored in all of her races, including sixth- and seventh-place finishes in sprint handicaps in February before the recent layoff.

Winsum has won 3 of 11 starts, but has lost his last three starts since a five-furlong handicap in December. On June 4 at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Winsum finished sixth of 16 in a lucrative handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs, losing by 2 3/4 lengths.

The General, who breaks from post 4, could give Royal Dress an early test.

Imperial Hilton, winless in his last six starts, runs from off the pace. Imperial Hilton won a five-furlong handicap in May 2021.

Donald has an eight-race program beginning at 9:45 p.m. Eastern or 6:45 p.m. Pacific on Saturday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.