Australia: Sovereign Express stretches out in Tuesday handicap at Hawkesbury

All Sovereign Express needed to boost his career was a little time and distance.

A 5-year-old Australian-bred gelding, Sovereign Express lost his first four starts at sprint distances ranging from five furlongs to 6 1/2 furlongs from last September to late May.

In recent months, Sovereign Express has won a maiden race at seven furlongs on June 25 and a handicap at a mile on July 19. Those wins have led to the longest race of his career in a tougher handicap at 1 1/8 miles on Tuesday at Hawkesbury Racecourse near Sydney, Australia.

Sovereign Express, the 5-2 favorite in early betting on Sunday, will start at the extended distance, which seems to be within his range. In the one-mile race at Wyong on July 19, Sovereign Express stalked the pace before taking the lead in the final furlong. He finished with interest in the maiden-race win at Newcastle.

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Sovereign Express is part of a field of 10 in the fifth race on a seven-race program that begins at 11:10 p.m. Eastern, or 8:10 p.m. Pacific, on Monday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

The field includes Mirror Queen, a 4-year-old filly who has also won her last two starts. Mirror Queen has won 3 of 5 starts overall, including consecutive one-mile handicaps at Tamworth on June 24 and Gunnison on July 4. She was favored in both races, and closed from off the pace to pull away from rivals near the finish.

Sovereign Express will carry 132 pounds, slightly less than topweight Reach Beyond at 133. Mirror Queen has been assigned 130 pounds.

Reach Beyond has won two of his last four starts, including a handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Scone in June. Reach Beyond was ninth of 11 in a much tougher handicap at 1 1/8 miles at Rosehill Gardens on July 16 at 9-1. He tends to run slightly closer to the pace than Sovereign Express or Mirror Queen and could make the first move on the leaders.