Co-trainer Matt Brown is confident that his Group 1 winning filly La Bella Diosa will pass a vet’s check before lining up in the Group 1 $500,000 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Kiwi filly La Bella Diosa, above, has recovered from some respiratory problems and is right for the Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
Kiwi filly La Bella Diosa arrived in Australia as the winner of the Group 1 NZ$300,000 NZ 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton Park in New Zealand and handled the wet conditions well to beat Omei Sword in the Group 2 $200,000 Theraces.com.au Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on February 25.
But at her next start the So You Think filly failed to beat a runner home when last of nineteen in the Group 1 $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill on March 11.
Following the Coolmore Classic it was discovered that La Bella Diosa was suffering from mild lower airway inflammation when a post-race scope also revealed a small amount of mucus and Racing New South Wales Stewards advised Brown, who trains in partnership with his wife Mandy, that a veterinary clearance would be required before the filly was allowed to race again.
Jockey Jason Collett is back in the saddle in the Vinery Stud Stakes and was on hand to gallop La Bella Diosa on the Randwick course proper earlier in the week and he reported that the filly felt fine.
“They were pretty minor issues to be fair and she’s good now,” Brown told racing.com.
“I spoke to Mandy yesterday and she was pretty happy.
“The filly was allowed to gallop on the course proper at Randwick, but Mandy couldn’t find a mate for her so she went on her own and she got a bit lost.
“Jason Collett came over to ride her and he was more than happy for us to be pressing forward.”
“Now I suppose you’ve just got to see how she performs and if we’re concerned at all about her welfare then we’ll go through the same process that we went through after the Coolmore.”
La Bella Diosa drops back to three old fillies company in the Vinery Stud Stakes after taking on the older mares in the Coolmore Classic and has been given the visitor’s draw and will jump from the outside of the field that has been reduced to twelve runners following the scratching of the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Cassadee.
The Chris Waller trained Foxplay sits at the top of the market order for the Vinery Stud Stakes at $3.40 with Ladbrokes.com.au with La Bella Diosa sharing the second line of betting at $5 with the favourite’s stablemate Dawn Wall.
Next in the betting is the Lindsay Park trained Harlow Gold who has been well supported, firming in from $7.50 to $6.50 alongside of Lubiton.
