Flemington co-trainers Matt Ellerton and Simon Zahra have selected the Group 2 $200,000 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on September 13 as the starting point for Solicit’s 2014 Cox Plate assault.
Solicit is on track for Cox Plate campaign. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Solicit showed that she was on track for a fruitful Spring Carnival with an impressive 800m jump out at Flemington this morning and Zahra believes if the Street Cry mare continues to improve, as he thinks she will, an attempt to run in the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 25 won’t be out of the question.
“She went terrific, being her first jump out we tend to make it a soft one and she just rolled around nicely and had a nice blow afterwards,” Zahra told Racing Victoria News.
“She’s entered in the Cox Plate and options could include races like the Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) and the Myer Classic (1600m), we’ll let her tell us whether we target the top notch or whether we go a level under.”
“It just depends on how she’s come back. If she’s on her winning way then we might raise the bar a little bit but if she’s not then you lower it.”
Solicit is also nominated for the Group 1 $2.5m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 18 but at this stage Zahra is thinking of keeping the mare to distances around the 2000m mark.
Solicit started to show her potential during the 2013 Spring Carnival when third to Kirramosa in the Group 2 $300,000 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington and followed that up with another third to the same filly in the Group 1 $1m Crown Oaks (2500m) at Flemington again.
Then in the Autumn this year she resumed with a win in the Group 3 $150,000 The Mittys Vanity (1400m) at Flemington on February 15 then made it back to back victories beating Marianne in the Group 2 $220,000 TAB Kewney Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on March 8.
Zahra and Ellerton then took the filly to Sydney where she showed her customary speed to lead the field on a heavy track in the Group 1 $400,000 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on April 5 before getting run down by Lucia Valentina.
Solicit then took on the open class mares in the Group 1 $1m Cellarbrations Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on April 19 but after leading again wilted badly in the straight to be a well beaten ninth of nine behind Diamond Drille.
Rider Chad Schofield and co-trainer Matt Ellerton both agreed that Solicit had come to the end of a tough campaign and was due for a break.
In early Cox Plate betting with Ladbrokes.com.au Solicit in listed as a $41 chance in the market order that has multiple Group 1 winning Kiwi mare Silent Achiever the reigning favourite at $11 just ahead of the Aidan O’Brien trained star Adelaide.
