Trainer Jason Warren suggests that Palm Angel has been disadvantaged by her early performances as a two-year-old.

Palm Angel is scheduled to compete in her twelfth race, the Drummond Golf Handicap (1600m), at Caulfield Heath on Saturday.

In her previous eleven outings, Palm Angel achieved two victories, the only occasions the now four-year-old mare had finished in a winning or placing position.

Palm Angel started her career with a win in the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield. Two starts later, she went on to win the Group 2 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m), also at Caulfield.

Warren isn’t disappointed that the then filly earned crucial Black Type for her future as a broodmare, but Palm Angel has paid the price for it since.

Over eight runs following her Blue Diamond Prelude victory, the closest Palm Angel came to a placing was fourth in a benchmark 78 race for three-year-old fillies, where she was assigned 60.5kg before Jackson Radley’s 3kg claim.

On Saturday, Palm Angel will contest a benchmark 74 race carrying 61.5kg, a weight that will be reduced by Radley’s 2kg apprentice claim.

“She’s carried a lot of weight ever since her early days, but I’m happy with how she’s going and her work has been good,” Warren said.

“I’m hopeful that she can bounce back on Saturday.”

“She probably gets into the race OK at the weights after the claim for what she has been getting.”

Palm Angel’s most recent start resulted in a sixth-place finish over 1400m at Flemington on July 18.

“I thought her run last start from a difficult barrier was a good run,” Warren commented.

“Jackson had to go too far back from a wide gate, and she was good to the line.”

“I think she’s been looking for a little bit further now and it has been a little bit of time between drinks for her.”

“What we don’t want is any more rain for her.”

Consider the current racing betting markets for Saturday’s Caulfield Heath meeting.