Trainer Robert Smerdon has revealed that classy filly Anatina will begin her 2014 Spring Racing Carnival campaign in the Listed Carlyon Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on August 23.
Anatina finished a close second behind Tiger Tees in The Galaxy during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. Photo by: Steve Hart
Anatina has not been seen at the races since she finished a narrow second behind Tiger Tees in the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 29, but showed that she had lost nothing during her stint in the spelling paddock by scoring a comfortable victory in a jump out at Caulfield this morning.
The Fastnet Rock filly had just two race starts during her autumn campaign, but stamped herself as a genuine contender at Group 1 level and Smerdon told TVN that he can see no reason why the rising four-year-old will not step-up again during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival.
“She led throughout in her heat, the ground was slow but she revels in that ground so it was no issue,” Smerdon said.
“We will probably kick off at Moonee Valley on August 23 in a 1000m set weights and penalties Listed race and she will have another jump out before then.
“She won a Listed race down the straight in the spring and last time in she won another Listed race and then was Group 1 placed, so she seems to have taken a step up.
“We only had a light autumn so the opportunity is there for her to step up again.
“I’m pretty happy with what I saw today and I am hoping she can continue to improve because she is going to need to going from a three to a four-year-old, you have got to see them do it.
“She is a genuine sprinting mare; that is the way I see her.”
Anatina made her racing debut in February of 2013 and broke through for her maiden race win at Geelong at the start of 2013 Spring Racing Carnival campaign before scoring her first black type win in the Listed Cap D’Antibes Stakes (1000m).
The three-year-old finished second behind the talented Missy Longstocking in the Group 3 Thoroughbred Club Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on October 12 and after a lackluster performance in the Flemington Fling (1000m), finished her campaign with a win in the Magic Millions Ballarat Three-Year-Old Classic (1100m).
Anatina returned to the races in the Listed MSS Security Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on March 8 before being narrowly denied a maiden win at Group 1 level in The Galaxy.
