Trainer Clarry Connors is confident that Dear Demi is fit enough to win the 2014 Let’s Elope Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.
Dear Demi returned to the races with a promising fifth place finish in the Group 3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield and Connors told Racing Ahead that the Dehere mare has taken plenty of improvement from her first-up run.
The veteran trainer watched Dear Demi work yesterday and he is delighted with the condition of his star galloper heading into the Group 3 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) this weekend.
“I was in Melbourne yesterday and I watched her work,” Connor said.
“I was tickled pink with her and she was working super.
“She worked really nice and I am very happy with the mare.
“She looks like she has done a little bit too well on me, that’s all, but she is fine and these hard runs should top her off lovely.”
Dear Demi has not recorded a race win since she took out the Group 3 The Roses (2000m) at Eagle Farm in June of last year, but the strong second-up record of the five-year-old has Connors hopeful that she can end up winning drought on Saturday.
The Crown Oaks winner finished a close third behind It’s A Dundeel and glamour mare Atlantic Jewel in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield second-up during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival and has also won races like the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1400m) and Group 2 Surround Stakes (1400m) in the second starts of her preparation.
“She has a great record second-up if you go through her form, she puts a bottler in second-up and third-up she usually goes backwards a bit and she goes from there on,” Connors said.
“She is fit enough.”
Dear Demi is currently available at Let’s Elope Stakes odds of $10, while there has already been a serious move for Cockram Stakes placegetter Commanding Jewel in the Let’s Elope Stakes betting market with Ladbrokes Australia.
Commanding Jewel opened on the second line of betting at $3.20, but was quickly backed into $2.80 and early favourite Gregers is out to $3.20 after she was backed into $2.90 in the early stages of betting.
Resuming mare Solicit ($6.50) is the only other galloper available at singe figure odds, while there has been some early support for Gig ($10).