Stream Ahead No Certainty To Contest McNeil Stakes

Stream Ahead has been included in the 2015 McNeil Stakes nominations, but trainer Doug Harrison revealed that the talented filly is no certainty to contest the Group 3 event that will be held at Caulfield on Saturday.

Stream Ahead finished second behind Petits Filous (pictured) in the United Refrigeration Handicap. Photo by: Adrienne Bicknell

Stream Ahead finished second behind Petits Filous (pictured) in the United Refrigeration Handicap. Photo by: Adrienne Bicknell

Stream Ahead made her racing debut with a comfortable win in the Jayco Maiden Plate (900m) at Bendigo on April 11 and she proved that performance was no fluke when she finished second behind the highly-talented Petits Filous in the United Refrigeration Handicap (1000m) at Moonee Valley on August 1.

The Dane Shadow filly was set to contest the Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 15, but she was scratched from the race after going off her feed in the lead-up, but Harrison is confident that the three-year-old has bounced back from the setback.

Harrison told Racing Ahead that he is very happy with the condition of Stream Ahead, but he said that he could bypass the McNeil Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday and instead give his star filly an easy kill in a benchmark 64 event at Sale on August 30.

“We are very happy with her,” Harrison said.

“It is a strong enough race on Saturday, but timewise the fillies seem to have it over the colts a little bit at the moment.

“We just have to have a little bit of a look through it and see what path we go down, but she seems to be back on track now.

“She was off the tucker just before that race at Caulfield and you have to go into them 100 percent right.

“I think she is a very good filly and I am looking forward to getting her back on the track.

“Her work on Saturday was good and I am quite happy with the way that she is coming along.

“She has to jump to the 1200 there and that mucks us up a little bit, but I am pretty happy with her overall.”

The 2015 McNeil Stakes field will be released this morning and Stream Ahead will take on the likes of Golden Slipper fourth place finisher Ready For Victory, the undefeated Prince Of Brooklyn, Vain Stakes winner Gold Symphony, Godolphin-owned Demonstrate, talented maiden Top Me Up and debut winner Mr Individual if she is included in the acceptances for the Group 3 event.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.