Classy filly Miss Rose De Lago will have the chance to record her second Group win in as many weeks when she contests the Western Australian Guineas (1600m) at Ascot on Saturday.
Trainer Jim Miller is hopeful that Miss Rose De Lago can follow in the footsteps of Academus and win the Western Australian Guineas this weekend. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Miss Rose De Lago stamped herself as a filly to watch with a strong win in the Listed Burgess Queen Stakes (1400m) at Ascot on November 2 and led all the way to score an impressive victory in the Group 3 Western Australian Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) last Saturday.
Trainer Jim Miller told Racing Ahead that the daughter of Encosta De Lago had recovered from the tough run in excellent condition and is a good chance to back-up against the colts in the Western Australian Guineas this weekend.
“I have done a little bit with her and Thursday I will do a fair bit with her,” Miller said.
“She is so tough and she bounces through everything, so she will do a little bit of work Thursday and I will make a decision on whether to run her or not on Friday.”
Miller said that Miss Rose De Lago had shown plenty of talent since she entered his stable but even he has been surprised by the improvement that the three-year-old has shown since making her racing debut at Belmont on September 11.
Miss Rose De Lago was a short-priced favourite heading into the Western Australian Champion Fillies Stakes and set an extremely quick tempo at the start of the race but was able to hang on to score a clear victory from Via Laurentina and Balmont Girl.
“She is an absolute ripper,” Miller said.
“As soon as we started educating her we knew that she was well above average and to do what she has done in her first racing campaign is just great.
“To win a Group 3 five runs in was remarkable and she will be a filly of all class next prep.
“She has a really laidback nature and I was surprised how fierce she was when she went out there and ran along.
“I was a bit soft on her leading into that and I probably underestimated her rate of recovery and her ability to work.
“When she was really fierce she set it up for the backmarkers but she still gave a kick and fought them off.”
Miller has two of the leading fancies in the 2013 Western Australian Guineas but rates Miss Rose De Lago his best winning chance after the undefeated Saint Bro drew at the very outside of the seventeen horse field.
“Before the barrier draw came out I had the favourite in the colts division Saint Bro,” Miller said.
“He is two starts for two wins but I think that she is a lot stronger than him.
“He is a really good horse but he has drawn barrier sixteen and he will need a lot of luck from out there.”
Miss Rose De Lago ($4.20) is currently a narrow favourite in Western Australian Guineas betting markets from Gai Waterhouse-trained Vitello ($5) and Saint Bro ($7).
