Sprinting filly Villa Verde is recovering so well from a lung problem that trainer Shaun Dwyer is eyeing off the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) in November.

Shaun Dwyer hopes to aim Villa Verde at the Coolmore Stud Stakes. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia.

The grey speedster was touted as one of the Golden Slipper favourites after scoring two dominant victories during the Melbourne spring but she failed to repeat that success in the autumn.

A well-beaten second behind eventual Slipper winner Overreach in the Group 2 Moet and Chandon Stakes was the only semi-highlight in an otherwise disappointing campaign. Her other starts resulted in a seventh-place Golden Slipper finish and an an 11th in the Sires’ Produce Stakes.

Inspections after the autumn revealed there was a good reason for her failures, with Villa Verde suffering from inflammation to her lungs. Dwyer said it hasn’t been easy but the rising three-year-old is now healthy and he is hopeful she can produce her best this spring.

“She ended up with a bit of inflammation in her lungs. We weren’t sure why but the main thing was we found out why she wasn’t running how she was in her early two-year-old races,” Dwyer told Radio Sports National.

“She’s had three lung washes since she came home…after the last one she looks good.”

Dwyer said the Not A Single Doubt filly will resume work next month before targeting a Coolmore lead-up in October.

“The Coolmore is the obvious aim but hopefully she’ll come back for one race before that in October,” he said.

Dwyer stepped Villa Verde up to 1400m in the Sires’ Produce Stakes in April but ruled out any chance of a repeat, clearly stating that she will be kept to genuine sprint trips.

“At this stage we’ll look at starting her over 1000m and then to the 1200m down the [Flemington] straight,” Dwyer said.

“If she comes back well we’ll look at races like the Lightning (1000m) and the Newmarket (1200m) in the autumn.”