The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace trained Cellsabeel is bred to handle the wet and a win on a heavy rated Rosehill track on Saturday will go a long way to securing a berth in the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on March 21.
Tommy Berry, above, will ride Cellsabeel in the Iron Jack Handicap at Rosehill. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Cellsabeel is by the top sire Hinchinbrook out of Group 1 winning mare Our Egyptian Raine who had a handy wet track record.
Cellsabeel is the pre-race $2.60 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au for the $125,000 Iron Jack Handicap (1100m) for the two year olds on Saturday and a win by the $400,000 yearling would shorten up the $26 that is currently on offer for the Golden Slipper.
“I am hoping she will enjoy a wet track. I know the Hinchinbrooks do and I know the dam did as well and it will be another feather in her cap if she can handle a wet track,” stable representative Annabel Neasham told Sky Racing’s Racing HQ.
Cellsabeel is resuming from a short break following her debut fourth in the $1m Golden Gift (1100m) at Rosehill on November 9 and Neasham said that stable was pleased with the way the filly finished her race off.
“She was really good late. Everybody keeps telling me that she was the quickest 600m of the day,” Neasham said.
“We don’t usually get too rolled up in times, especially in their first start, but you can’t really ignore it.”
“She will probably be midfield or a little worse than midfield, the way I think she will run. Hopefully there is s bit of speed on and have a good crack at them late.”
Cellsabeel has won two barrier trials in preparation for her return to the race track and wore the blinkers in her trial win at Randwick on the recommendation of jockey Tommy Berry and the filly will wear them at Rosehill on Saturday.
“She is a pretty cool customer and we have the blinkers on her to get her to focus, more for the closing stages of the race,” Neasham said.
“Tommy felt that in that first trial she was a little bit lost when she hit the front and had her ears pricked and he thought she might knuckle down a bit more with them.”
“So we tried her in them in the second trial and Tommy certainly felt that she felt a bit sharper so we have left them on.”
