Thousand Guineas winner Stay With Me gets her chance to bounce back from a first up defeat when she lines up in the Group 2 $175,000 Coolmore Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Trainer David Hayes expects Stay With Me, above, to run an improved race in the Surround Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Stay With Me was sent out as the $2.60 favourite for the Group 2 $175,000 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Randwick a fortnight ago at her first run since running sixth to Politeness in the Group 1 $500,000 Myer Classic (1600m) at Flemington during the 2105 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
At her previous start Stay With Me was victorious in the winning the Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 10.
But with a slow pace and a wide barrier, the David Hayes and Tom Dabernig trained filly was never in the race before finishing two and a quarter lengths fifth to Gerald Ryan trained Perignon.
Hayes expects Stay With Me to be back to her competitive best this week and with a better barrier, four in a field of ten, can see the Street Cry filly taking up a more prominent position in the early and middle stages.
“She has drawn a barrier, won’t get as far back,” Hayes said.
“Will love the 1400m and her training has suggests she has improved.”
“We expect her to bounce back here.”
Jockey Kerrin McEvoy was aboard Stay With Me in the Light Fingers Stakes and rides again this week and agrees with Hayes that the filly can only improve after having no luck a fortnight ago.
“It didn’t work out tempo wise, she is a filly that needs to be ridden with cover and from the outside draw we had to be a little bit negative early,” McEvoy told the Sportsman.
“After over racing a bit she emptied out in the last hundred yards.”
“We’d look for a better position on Saturday and we’d hope she can bounce back.”
“She is a better filly than she showed the other day.”
“The draw helps a bit and hopefully she can relax that bit better.”
McEvoy has been aboard Stay With Me on the track since the Light Fingers Stakes and is pleased with the way she has come through her first up run.
“I rode her in her work and she pleased me so there’s no doubt she has retained her ability, she just has to bring it to the table on Saturday.”
In the Surround Stakes market order at Ladbrokes.com.au, Stay With Me is on the third line of betting at $4.40 behind the John O’Shea trained unbeaten filly Ghisoni at $2.60 and Light Fingers Stakes winner Perignon at $4.20.
Surround Stakes market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.60 Ghisoni, $4.20 Perignon, $4.40 Stay With Me, $7.50 Heartlings, $14 Single Haze, $16 Pearls, $19 Honesta, $21 Ambience, $101 Captured, $151 Shotgun Roulette.
