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.

A two-race winning streak since late June has forced the Australian gelding Dubai Centre into a higher class of handicap runners in a seven-furlong race at Goulburn Racecourse on Monday.

Judging from his running style and the race distance, Dubai Centre should be able to handle the class test.

The Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest, which caters to long-winded sprinters and fast-twitch milers, headlines the weekend racing action in Europe.  

The Deauville fixture on Sunday drew a field of 13 that English betting markets are saying is evenly matched; seven horses as of Friday were priced between 7-2 and 11-1.  

When he finishes his races, Valac is unbeatable in steeplechases in Australia this year.

Valac has won twice and fell twice in four appearances since his season began in April.

Despite a sketchy record, Valac will be favored in Sunday’s $103,650 Crisp Steeplechase at 2 5/8 miles at Sandown Racecourse in Melbourne. Bettors can have some confidence in Valac after he won an allowance race for chasers as the 9-10 favorite at 2 3/16 miles at Pakenham Racecourse on July 17 after falling in his two preceding starts.

In the last 18 months, Forbidden Love has won three Group 1 races for sprinters in Australia. Another such assignment is likely in coming weeks if Forbidden Love performs to expectations in Saturday’s Group 2 Missile Stakes at six furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney.

A winner of 8 of 24 starts, Forbidden Love will be favored in a field of 12 in the $174,500 Missile Stakes, the first group-level stakes of the new Australian season, which began on Monday.

It’s only early August but England-based Saffron Beach already has been penciled in as a starter three months from now in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.  

It was not a complete surprise that The Mitchell Snail won his debut in a five-furlong maiden race at Gunnison Racecourse in Australia on July 12. Sent off as the 5-1 fourth choice in a field of 10, The Mitchell Snail closed from fourth to lead in the final strides.

The Irish-bred gelding Hosier has won 5 of 7 starts since arriving in Australia in the winter of 2020-21, with the victories in a maiden race and four minor handicaps.

Race conditions are about to change for Hosier. On Thursday at Coffs Harbour Racecourse, Hosier will start favored in the richest race of his career, the $104,100 Coffs Harbour Cup at a mile.

Saffron Beach, whose connections intend to start their horse in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf this November at Keeneland, heads a field of seven fillies and mares in the Group 1 Prix Rothschild on Tuesday at Deauville Racecourse.  

With seven starts, Mystic Mermaid is relatively inexperienced compared to some of her competition in a handicap for fillies and mares at about a mile at Canterbury Park in Sydney on Wednesday.

Mystic Mermaid won her most recent outing, which came in a maiden race at a mile at Newcastle Racecourse on June 25, closing from third in a field of six to win by a nose as the 6-5 favorite.