Trainer Clarry Conners knows that he is fighting a tough battle to get his speedy filly Assail fit in time for the Group 1 $3.5m Tooheys New Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on April 6.
Trainer Clarry Conners has a tough battle to get Assail fit for the Golden Slipper. Photo by: Steve Hart.
Assail is recovering from an operation two weeks ago to clean out her infected hoof which saw the Charge Forward filly a race morning scratching when a short priced favourite for the $2m Jeep Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on January 12.
Conners is happy with the filly’s condition following surgery but will just have to wait and see how she progresses leading into the Autumn Carnival.
“It is coming along as well as I could have liked but she had a lot of hoof cut away and it is still growing back,” Connors said.
“It will be a struggle but we are hopeful and trying to stay positive that she will come good.”
Assail is undefeated from two starts,, winning at her race debut over 1000m at Warwick Farm in November before confirming her Magic Millions favouritism with a three lengths victory over Frill Seeking in the $200,000 Wyong Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1100m) at Wyong on December 20.
Even though Craig Williams missed out on riding her in the Magic Millions, the top international jockey declared that Assail was up to Golden Slipper class after a sizzling gallop in between races at Warwick Farm leading up to the Gold Coast race.
“She is a high quality filly,” Williams said after the special gallop.
“The way she worked you would be happy if you were going towards the Slipper. The way that she felt and her attitude, she is a very good filly.
“I was rapt with the way she went. She is better than a Magic Millions horse, she is a high quality filly.
“I’d be happy in a Blue Diamond or a Golden Slipper the way that she felt. She is good.”
Conners has ten weeks to get the filly in peak condition if he wants to add another Golden Slipper trophy to his cabinet with wins in the world’s richest two year old race with Tierce and Burst in 1991 and 1992, Prowl in 1998 and Belle Du Jour in 2000.
