Staying mare Kirramosa will kick off her Autumn Carnival campaign in the Group 2 $175,000 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Kirramosa is set to kick off her Autumn Carnival campaign in the Millie Fox Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Randwick based Kiwi trainer John Sargent has given Kirramosa two Randwick barrier trials in preparation for her return to the racetrack with the four year old finishing fifth to Atmospherical over 838m on February 2 then winning her trial over 1050m on February 10.
While Kirramosa will be coming up against some handy sprinting mares in the Millie Fox Stakes, Sargent is expecting a forward showing but is looking down the track when he steps her up to her more favoured longer journeys.
“She is fit and she trialled very well and I’m looking forward to her getting to the big races,” Sargent said.
“She is entered for the Queen Elizabeth but it’s more likely she will go to the longer races like the BMW and the Sydney Cup.”
Kirramosa has been nominated for the premier weight for age race of the ‘The Championships’, the Group 1 $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on April 11 but Sargent is thinking the Group 1 $1.6m Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) on the same day would suit her better.
And the Group 1 $1.5m The BMW (2400m) at Rosehill on March 28 would also be a suitable Sydney Cup lead up race.
Kirramosa showed her staying potential as a three year old with victories in the Group 2 $300,000 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) and in the Group 1 $1m Crown Oaks (2500m) both at Flemington during the 2013 Melbourne Cup Carnival.
But the Alamosa mare failed to fire in the Spring of 2014 and Sargent was forced to spell her after she injured a hamstring when eleventh to Fawkner in the Group 1 $400,000 Cathay Pacific Caulfield Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on October 11.
“In the Caulfield Stakes she ran to the right and then to the left and she pulled up the next day doing a ham string,” Sargent said.
The Chris Waller trained Catkins and David Payne’s Lilliburlero are set to class again in the Millie Fox Stakes after only a nose separated then pair when first and second in the Group 2 $175,000 NSW Thoroughbred Breeders Classic (1200m) at Rosehill on February 7.
Waller has also nominated Arinosa who failed to beat a runner home when ninth to Catkins in the Breeders Classic.
Les Bridge’s prolific winner Avoid Lightning is also resuming in the Millie Fox Stakes and is having her first start since taking out the Group 3 $125,000 City Tattersalls Club Nivison (1200m) at Randwick last October.
Avoid Lightning has won ten of her twenty-three starts but is yet to win beyond 1200m.
