Big race jockey Kerrin McEvoy will ride She Will Reign when she resumes for the 2018 Spring Carnival in the Group 2 $200,000 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday.
McEvoy has had one ride on She Will Reign for a win in the Group 1 $500,000 Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley during the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival and trainer Gary Portelli will be instructing him to use the same come from behind tactics in the Missile Stakes.
“I want her to get back and once the jockey decides to go just keep going and hopefully she’s good enough to match it with these good sprinters over 1200,” Portelli told AAP.
She Will Reign’s last win was in the $250,000 Inglis Sprint (1100m) at Warwick Farm on February 10 while the rising four year old mare will be having her first race start since finishing fifth to Catchy in the Group 2 $600,000 Arrowfield 3yo Sprint (1200m) at Randwick on April 14 and will line up in the Missile Stakes after two barriers, a third over 735m at Randwick on July 3 followed by a win over 900m at Rosehill on July 23.
She Will Reign was the champion two year old of her juvenile season which she wrapped up with a win in the 2017 Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill during the Autumn Carnival.
Potelli said that he will wait and see how She Will Reign performs first up in the Missile Stakes before mapping out a program for the remainder of the 2018 Spring Carnival.
“The preparation will all hinge on what she does in this race, as far as what distance we go up to,” Portelli said.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how she goes. It’s going to be a very high-pressure race, I’ve got no doubt, with the horses they’re spruiking going into the Missile first-up and with horses trying to get into The Everest.
“It just might open the race up for something swooping and that’s the way I want her ridden.”
She Will Reign is one of nine nominations for the Missile Stakes, which also includes Group 1 winners Kementari, Music Magnate and Takedown, with extra entries being called for after the The Australian Turf Club extended the deadline for the nominations until 11am on Tuesday July 31, 2018.
Nominations for the 2018 Missile Stakes (1200m)
# | Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 01Dx0230x9 | BOSS LANE | G | 8 | Ron Quinton | 101 |
2 | 5278x1327x | EGYPTIAN SYMBOL | M | 6 | Bjorn Baker | 103 |
3 | 320x11130x | KEMENTARI | H | 4 | James Cummings | 109 |
4 | 1x1x31117x | LANCIATO (NZ) | G | 6 | Mark Newnham | 103 |
5 | 50100x1x0x | MUSIC MAGNATE (NZ) | G | 7 | Bjorn Baker | 111 |
6 | 37x121122x | PIERATA | H | 4 | Gregory Hickman | 105 |
7 | 1x10x1085x | SHE WILL REIGN | M | 4 | Gary Portelli | 108 |
8 | 510x23723x | SHOWTIME | H | 4 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 106 |
9 | 400x78056x | TAKEDOWN | G | 6 | Gary Moore | 103 |