Handy mare Miss Siska could earn herself a start in the Doomben Cup with a high class performance in the Group 2 $500,000 A.D. Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Miss Siska, above, is well supported in the betting for the A.D. Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Miss Siska was quick to find winning form for new trainer Grahame Begg with a first up win in the $100,000 Gold Bracelet (1400m) at Bendigo on March 30 and then finished a gallant fourth to Kenenda in the Group 1 $1m Coolmore Legacy Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Day Two of The Championships on April 13.
“She probably got left exposed a bit early,” Begg told The Courier-Mail.
“She drew a good gate, travelled behind the speed and then they sort of opened up a bit because they were looking for better ground and she dived through.
“She hit the front pretty early and she only got run down in the last 10m.”
Another encouraging performance Miss Siska will prompt Begg to aim her towards the Group 1 $700,000 Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben in a fortnight.
“All going well she can then go on to the Doomben Cup and Group One company in a fortnight,” Begg told AAP.
Begg has reported that Miss Siska has settled in well at the Gold Coast and pleased him with a solid gallop on Tuesday morning.
“She worked on the Gold Coast course proper on Tuesday morning and it was good work,” Begg said.
Bendigo Gold Bracelet winning jockey Jordan Childs is back in the saddle replacing Jamie Kah on Miss Siska who has drawn awkwardly in barrier thirteen in the original draw of fourteen plus four emergencies but will move in three spots if all of the reserves fail to gain start.
“She’s drawn a touch sticky, but she’s got enough gate speed to put herself in the first half dozen,” Begg said.
Miss Siska has had some early support in the betting at Ladbrokes.com.au and has firmed in from $9.50 to $8.50 in a fairly wide open betting market for the A.D. Hollindale Stakes.
Coolmore Legacy Stakes winner Kenedna sits at the top of the market order at $4 ahead of Shillelagh at $4.80, Youngstar and Plein Ciel at $6 and Mister Sea Wplf at $7.
