Last weekend’s Group 2 Randwick winner A Time For Julia will get a chance to show her Group 1 credentials when she lines up in the $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
A Time For Julia, white colours, will back up in the Coolmore Classic after winning the Roy Higgins Tribute Quality. Photo by Steve Hart.
Caulfield trainer Peter Moody says the Redoute’s Choice mare will have no problem backing up in the week after winning the Group 3 $150,000 Roy Higgins Tribute Quality (1200m) at Randwick last Saturday.
“She does very well and enjoys her feed so it will save me having to do a lot with her during the week,” Moody said after her win at Randwick.
Moody had always planned to run A Time For Julia in the Coolmore Classic and had mapped out her work program with the 1500m in mind.
“I worked her on Tuesday with the view that she would be running in a 1500m race in just under a fortnight, not a 1200m race this weekend,” Moody said.
“Can she win a Coolmore? There is going to be a lot of good mares there, she is well though.
“Does she run 1500m? I’m not sure. If she doesn’t there is the Sangster in Adelaide for her.
“She has only had a handful of starts, those mares that have raced more, she is still learning, she is on the way up.”
The Melbourne premiership winning trainer has also nominated six year old Floria who is coming off a second to Five All in the Group 3 $150,000 Frances Tressady Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on March 1.
The Coolmore Classic has been flooded with nominations with twenty-six fillies and mares being entered for the prestigious Group 1 for the girls.
Leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller has entered four from his powerful Rosehill stable, Red Tracer, Royal Descent, Catkins and Arinosa.
Waller’s Group 1 winning mare Red Tracer was very unlucky last Saturday in the Group 1 $500,000 Guinness Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick when running home for third behind Appearance after going down on her nose fifty metres after the start after being squeezed up in between runners.
Catkins has returned in the Autumn in top form with two wins from two starts in the Group 2 $175,000 NSW Thoroughbred Breeders Classic (1200m) at Rosehill on February 15 and the Group 3 $150,000 Wiggle Stakes (1400m) at Warwick Farm on March 8.
Last season’s Australian Oaks winner Royal Descent will appreciate the step up in distance after one run back for a fourth to Red Tracer in the Group 2 $175,000 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on March 1 while Arinosa is back in Sydney after missing a place at her two runs in Melbourne in the Group 3 $150,000 Routleys Bakery Bellmaine Stakes (1200m) and the Group 3 $150,000 Premier Signs Mannerism Stakes (1400m) both at Caulfield.
Broadmeadow trainer Kris Lees looks to have two strong chances with last start winner Thump who beat home Real Surreal and stable mate Lucia Valentina in the Group 2 $175,000 Surround Stakes (1400m) at Warwick Farm on March 8 with the Gai Waterhouse trained Sweet Idea finishing in eighth spot.
And Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra have brought their smart three year old Solicit to Sydney after the Street Cry filly scored her second win this campaign in the Group 2 $220,000 TAB Kewney Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on March 8.
