Brilliant speedster Heatherly will be restricted to the short course sprints over the 2016 Spring Carnival as she chases her first Group 1 victory.

Heatherly will be chasing Group 1 success during the 2016 Spring Carnival. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Heathery showed that she was a potential Group 1 winner with a five and a half length win in the Group 2 $200,000 Schweppes Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on February 13 before running third to Flamberge in the Group 1 $500,000 Clamms Seafood Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield a fortnight later.

The Lonhro filly had also shown her liking for the 1000m course at Moonee Valley with a three lengths win in a BenchMark 78 Handicap at the beginning of January and co-trainer Simon Zahra has indicated that a likely return to Moonee Valley for the Group 1 $450,000 Moir Stakes over 1000m is a possibility.

“We’ll get her fit and ready to go and then plot a path but 1000m to 1100m that’s probably her distance unless she really relaxes this time around,” Zahra, who trains in partnership with Matthew Ellerton, told racing.com.

“Her form at Caulfield is good and she’s won at the Valley so we’ll probably aim at those races.

“She has won up the straight but she just can pull a bit in her races. There’s plenty of options for her.”

Zahra has also highlighted the Group 2 $200,000 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield as a possible target.

Zahra said that Heatherly had deserved a good break after racing all the way through from the beginning of December last year to the end of February which resulted in three wins and three placings from six starts.

“Our aim was to give her a really good break which she’s had after a long preparation and now we’ll get her back into work before it gets too cold,” Zahra said.

“She’ll probably be ready to resume racing around the end of August.”

Heatherly has earned just over $320,000 from four wins and four placings from nine race starts.