Trainer Peter Snowden expects smart filly Metastasio to take the next step when she makes her Spring Carnival debut at Moonee Valley tomorrow.
Metastasio won her first two race starts by a combined margin of five lengths before finishing eighth to Miracles Of Life in the Group 1 $1m Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield in February.
The Street Cry filly showed tremendous speed in all her three race starts and Snowden expects to see the same when she steps out at Moonee Valley.
“She hasn’t changed a lot from her two year old days, she is not a big filly but very strong,” Snowden told the Sportsman.
“She has a great turn of foot and a good pedigree and if that pedigree kicks in it should take her a fair way.”
Snowden said that Metastasio has had plenty of work leading up to her return and is anticipating a forward showing.
“She is quite forward and has had a jump out in Melbourne,” Snowden said.
“The two wins she had before the Diamond were by widening margins and were solid efforts.”
“She has a little bit of a head start because she went out after the Diamond so she came back a fair bit earlier than the others.”
While Guelph holds the top spot in the fillies ranks with wins in the Group 1 $500,000 Inglis Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) and the Group 1 $400,000 Moet & Chandon 150th Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick in the Autumn, Snowden still expects Metastasio to shine her own light.
Even though tomorrow’s 1000m Benchmark 78 for the fillies has only pulled together a small field of six, Metastasio will get a good hit-out coming up against the smart Peter Moody trained Diamond Glow and Team Hawkes’ well-bred first starter Maroon Bay (Exceed And Excel x Legally Bay).
The Group 3 $135,000 Quezette Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 17 will be Metastasio’s next start if Snowden is pleased with the filly’s first up effort.