Trainer Gerald Ryan will put his promising two-year-old Cavalry Rose to the test in the Listed Black Opal Stakes in Canberra this Sunday.
The Charge Forward filly will be having her third career start in the $250,000 race, after winning both her previous race starts in convincing fashion.
Cavalry Rose won the $250,000 Inglis Classic on debut at Rosehill in January before winning the $70,000 Styletread.com.au Handicap at the same track last month.
The filly has since has almost a month off racing in order to freshen her up in time for the Black Opal Stakes.
Ryan is confident she can continue her faultless record when she travels to Canberra this weekend.
“She has freshened up well and her work was good on Saturday morning,” Ryan said.
“I was nearly going to trial her this morning but the way she pulled up on Saturday morning she didn’t need it.”
While Ryan understands Sunday will be a big challenge for Cavalry Rose, he believes her prior efforts point to success.
“She couldn’t have done much more in her two starts and she’s beaten the colts and geldings both times,” he said.
“It will probably be her toughest test on Sunday but she has earned her crack at it.”
A winning performance in the race would earn Cavalry Rose a spot in the $3.5 million Golden Slipper on April 7.
“If she went really well on Sunday her next run would be in the Golden Slipper,” Ryan said.
The trainer will be looking to win the Black Opal for the second time in his career, with his first win coming in 1996 with Paint.
While Cavalry Rose looks to be his most promising runner in the race, Ryan is also not writing off his other representative My Shabella.
My Shabella was originally due to run a 1,200 metre maiden at Wyong tomorrow, however, Ryan has opted to start her in the Black Opal.
The trainer was originally disheartened by the filly’s first-up defeat in a Canterbury maiden last month, where she finished third.
“She has done well since though so we’ll probably give her a crack at it,” Ryan said.
“She’s certainly got the ability.”
