Damien Oliver will endeavour to settle I Am Boudica in the second half of the field when she backs up this week in the Group 2 $500,000 Sky Racing-W.A. Guineas (1600m) at Ascot in Perth on Saturday.
Damien Oliver,above, rides I Am Boudica in the W.A. Guineas at Ascot in Perth. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Trainer Vernon Brockman has taken the blinkers off I Am Boudica who raced on the pace last start and Oliver can see the filly settling further back in the field from barrier thirteen than when she raced on the pace before finishing third in the Group 3 $200,000 W.A. Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) at Ascot last Saturday.
“He said she was ridden a bit close last start, so I might have to ride her more conservative this week,” Oliver told racing.com.
Oliver replaces Paul Harvey who was suspended for careless riding for causing interference on I Am Boudica when he let the filly stride forward from an outside barrier to race in second position at the leader’s rump and then fought on bravely in the straight to finish third behind Samovare and Ellicazoom.
Oliver, who was originally from Perth, has ridden successfully for Brockman in the past and is giving I Am Boudica a great chance of winning the W.A. Guineas for the West Australian trainer.
“She’s a nice filly, been in good form,” Oliver said.
“I’m hearing they think the fillies are stronger than the colts.
“She’s got a good trainer Vern Brockman, who I go back a long way with. He’s giving her a nice chance.”
I Am Boudica kicked off her latest campaign with a first up win, her second, in a 1100m three year old plate at Bunbury on October 12 before running fourth to W.A. Guineas rival Ellicazoom in the Listed $100,000 Burgess Queen Stakes (1400m) at Ascot on November 1.
The W.A. Champion Fillies Stakes was her third run in and she will now be seasoned enough to mix it with the colts and geldings in the W.A. Guineas.
I Am Boudica is at the healthy odds of $14 for the W.A. Guineas at Ladbrokes.com.au while Ellicazoom heads the market order at $4.80.
The other filly in the race, the Simon Miller trained Whispering Brook, is next in the betting ahead of Saul’s Special at $6.50, Humanity at $7 and Get Over It at 9.
