The 2016 Angus Armanasco Stakes field has been released and Pasadena Girl is set to return to the races in the Group 2 event at Caulfield on Saturday.
Pasadena Girl is set to return to the races in the Angus Armanasco Stakes at Caulfield this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart
Pasadena Girl was the star two-year-old filly of the 2015 Autumn Racing Carnival and she captured the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 18, but she was unable to record a race win during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival.
The daughter of Savabeel returned to the races with an eye-catching second behind Stay With Me in the Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on September 5 and she found the line strongly in the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m), but was slightly disappointing in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m).
Pasadena Girl stepped up to 2000 metres for the first time in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase (2040m) on October 24 and she found the line fairly to finish fourth before she produced a similar effort in the Group 1 Crown Oaks (2500m) at Flemington on November 5.
The three-year-old has not been seen at the races since the Crown Oaks, but she showed she was ready for her return in the Angus Armanasco Stakes when she won a barrier trial over 800 metres at Cranbourne on February 8.
Pasadena Girl will face 12 rivals in the Angus Armanasco Stakes, but she has a clear edge in handicap over the rest of the field.
Egypt has the second highest handicap rating on 73 and the talented filly will back-up in the Angus Armanasco Stakes following her outstanding performance in the Group 3 The Vanity (1400m) last weekend.
The daughter of Sebring worked her way through the grades impressively during her summer campaign and she went into The Vanity as an outsider, but she savaged the line in the final stages of the race to upstage Perfect Reflection and Jameka and finish a close second behind Don’t Doubt Mamma.
The 2016 Angus Armanasco Stakes field is rounded out by The Grey Flash (barrier eight), Bengal Cat (barrier 12), Mossin’ Around (barrier five), Cana (barrier two), Alaskan Rose (barrier 13), Catch A Fire (barrier ten), Purrpussful (barrier one), Smokin’ Bella (barrier seven), Miss Wilson (barrier 11), Let Her Rip (barrier three) and Smokin’ Valentina (barrier four).
Recent winners of the Angus Armanasco Stakes include Serenade Rose (2006), Miss Finland (2007), Zarita (2008), Pinker Pinker (2011) and Sabatini (2015).
