Co-trainer Craig Widdison has revealed brave filly Eloping has returned to work at Whittlesea this week in preparation for a 2015 autumn preparation which may begin in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield.
Trainer Craig Widdison has revealed the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate may figure as the first point of call for Eloping in 2015. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia
Finishing outside the top three only a handful of times over her 13 start career to date, Eloping was last seen at the races running second with a race-high 59kgs in the Group 3 Gucci Stakes (1100m) on November 5th; less than one week after registering a commendable sixth place finish in the major Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington.
Thrilled with the condition of the Choisir filly since returning to light work on Monday, Widdison told Racing Victoria he and co-trainer Peter Morgan have been particularly impressed by the strength and fortitude displayed by the three-year-old from her maiden appearance on course and are gearing up for another successful campaign through the 2015 Autumn Carnival.
“She just keeps amazing you, you’d think after her two-year-old preparation she’d be lucky to come back but she never missed a beat and just keeps performing,” Widdison said.
“She’s just so tough and is so easy to train.
“Her run in the Coolmore was really good and then back up less than a week later and run like she did with 59kg was a great effort.
“She’s just come back into work today (Monday). She comes to handy pretty quickly so we’ll get a good guide as to how she’s going.
“She looks really good. She’s put on a bit of weight for her, her coat looks good and she looks like she’s rounded out a little bit.”
Claiming back-to-back race wins on debut, including the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) on January 25th, Eloping continued to impressive over the 2014 Autumn Carnival in running second in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) on her way to a credible seventh place finish in the featured Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) on April 5th.
Returning to the paddock after taking out the Group 3 Royal Randwick Stakes (1200m) and finishing fourth in the Group 2 Champagne Classic (1200m), Eloping ran third behind Angelic Light and Lankan Rupee in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) first-up on September 6th; taking out both the Group 3 Champagne Stakes (1200m) and Listed Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) leading into the Coolmore Stud Stakes.
