Co-trainer Cindy Alderson revealed that she may target the 2015 Crown Oaks with talented filly My Popette after she recorded an impressive victory in the Anzac Day Stakes at Flemington this afternoon.
My Poppette will head to the spelling paddock following her tough win in the Anzac Day Stakes at Flemington this afternoon. Photo by: Adrienne Bicknell
My Poppette made her racing debut with a smart victory in the Cross Electrics Maiden Plate (1200m) at Pakenham on March 26 and she finished second behind Black Vanquish in the Starlight Children’s Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on April 11 before she recorded maiden win at black type level in the Anzac Day Stakes.
Alderson said after the Anzac Day Stakes that she has always had a high opinion of My Poppette and she confirmed that the Snippetson filly would head to the spelling paddock before she returns to racing for a Crown Oaks campaign in the spring.
“It was a tough ask from that barrier, but Mark was pretty confident and he let her stride forward and she seemed to travel for a long time,” Alderson said.
“She hit the front pretty early, but she had enough left.
“We always thought that the 1400 was really going to suit her and I think the cut in the track is really going to suit her.
“We will put her away now.
“You would have to give her an opportunity obviously and we always felt that she was a filly that would get over ground and we might consider a race like the Oaks.”
My Poppette was drawn towards the outside of the Anzac Day Stakes field, but jockey Mark Zahra elected not to ride the two-year-old too aggressively and was happy to let the filly sit three wide in the early stages of the race.
Zahra was impressed with the way that My Poppette finished off the Anzac Day Stakes in the concluding stages and he agrees that the promising filly is worthy of an opportunity at the highest level during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival.
“I just wanted to be really smooth and it worked out that way,” Zahra said.
“I rolled across and then I was three deep with no cover, but I was in a really happy spot on a slow tempo and she did the rest.
“You couldn’t ask her to do too much more so far.
“She had a fairly tough run in that and still ran well, so why not put her away and see how you go.”
Lizard Island did not have a great deal of luck in running, but was still able to work home strongly to finish second, while More Than Most made up plenty of ground late after being caught wide in the early stages of the race.
