Crown Oaks winner Dear Demi will kick off her 2014 Caulfield Cup campaign when she lines up in the Group 3 $150,000 W.W. Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Dear Demi kicks off her Caulfield Cup campaign in the W.W. Cockram Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Dear Demi will be one of the outsiders of the field at her first run back following a gruelling Sydney Autumn Carnival but trainer Clarry Conners will be happy to see the Dehere mare putting in her best efforts over the concluding stages behind the better credentialed short course mares.
“I imagine she will be back past midfield, she won’t be last, and I am hoping something gives me a good cart into the race,” Conners told Racing HQ.
“She will be doing her best work coming to the turn and coming out wide and working home.”
Dear Demi has drawn the outside of the thirteen horse field, but Conners is not concerned as she begins her long Spring Carnival campaign that is aimed at the Group 1 $2.5m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 18.
“I am not worried about the draw because she gets back and wants to work home,” Conners said.
“She is not fully wound up yet. A couple of trials, we haven’t knocked her around.”
“She just improves with racing. When she won the Oaks I run her on the Satie before. She performs best when I run her the week before, she loves racing.”
“She has a long way to go yet but first up she does run a nice race.”
Conners is happy with the way Dear Demi has settled into her Melbourne stable and said that he has been happy with her work before heading south.
“She travelled down really fine. Settled in nice, everything is fine,” Conners said.
“She worked on Monday morning as a matter of fact and didn’t leave until Wednesday night.
“She had good hit out at Warwick Farm on Monday in a very fast time and I am very happy with her and the track was good.”
Dear Demi was due to resume last weekend in the Group 3 $125,000 Toy Show Quality (1300m) at Randwick but Conners withdrew her because of the heavy track conditions and reverted to the Melbourne plan where the tracks have good.
Sydney’s premiership winning jockey James McDonald has ridden Dear Demi in her two barrier trials at Warwick Farm and Hawkesbury but will be riding at Rosehill on Saturday allowing Melbourne jockey Brad Rawiller to hop back into the saddle again.
Rawiller has had one previous ride on the Crown Oaks winner and the pair finished third behind It’s A Dundeel in the 2013 Group 1 $400,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield.
Dear Demi is one of the longest priced mares in the W.W. Cockram Stakes with Ladbrokes.com.au marking her as a $26 chance.
Impressive first up winner Gregers heads the market order at $2.70 ahead of A Time For Julia at $4.80, Real Surreal at $5 and Commanding Jewel at $7.50.
