Trainer Stuart Webb has revealed that the 2017 Australian Guineas will be the autumn target for Legless Veuve after she returned to the races with a win in the 2017 Ladbrokes Manfred Stakes at Caulfield this afternoon.
Legless Veuve won the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) during the 2016 Spring Racing Carnival, but she was unwanted in betting in the lead-up to the Manfred Stakes.
Punters that left her out of the quaddie were quickly regretting their decision when she loomed up to Into Orbit at the top of the straight before she ran away from her rival to claim a comfortable victory.
Jockey Mark Zahra has ridden Legless Veuve throughout her racing career and he believes that she has improved significantly heading into her autumn preparation.
“She is a good filly,” Zahra said.
“She puts herself on speed and we thought that she would be a bit underdone today, but I struggled to actually hold her off Into Orbit and she put him away at the top of the straight.
“She was really strong to the line.
“I have galloped her a couple of times this time in and she has come back better than ever.”
Webb was delighted to see Legless Veuve take out the Ladbrokes Manfred Stakes and he believes that the daughter of Pins still has a great deal of improvement in front of her.
Legless Veuve will likely return to fillies company for the Group 3 The Vanity (1400m) at Flemington in a fortnight before she returns to Group 1 level for another clash with the boys in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m).
“The progression she has made from last preparation to this preparation has been outstanding,” Webb said.
“She has really developed and I will probably just keep her to a light prep this time in because she will be one of the nicest four-year-old mares you will see.
“She will have one more run in a fortnight over 1400 and will go straight there (to the Australian Guineas).
“She is clean-winded, she has a pedigree, she is a bit of type and she has a nice record now.”
Into Orbit toughed it out to the line to finish second, while Hey Doc found the line nicely to finish third in a promising performance.
