Nurse Kitchen 1st time on heavy track in Vinery Stud Stakes Field

Victorian filly Nurse Kitchen will be tested on a heavy track for the first time when she lines up in the Group 1 $500,000 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Nurse Kitchen, above, will be tested on a heavy track for the first time in the Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill,. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Nurse Kitchen, above, will be tested on a heavy track for the first time in the Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill,. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Blake Shinn takes over from Hugh Bowman on Nurse Kitchen who has drawn barrier two in the thirteen horse Vinery Stud Stakes field.

Trainer David Brideoake said that the filly had excuses last start when eleventh to Circular in on firm Flemington track in the Group 3 $150,000 Schweppervescence Trophy (1600m) on March 11.

The Mornington trainer said that Nurse Kitchen jarred up on the hard surface at Flemington and was expecting an improved effort this week but is now uncertain how the Savabeel filly will handle the heavy track conditions.

The Rosehill track was rated a heavy 10 on Wednesday, the same as Golden Slipper Day last Saturday, and with more rain forecast for the remainder of the week, the track is not going to improve very much.

“We don’t really know with her in extremely heavy ground because she’s never been on it,” Brideoake told AAP.

Nurse Kitchen showed she was above average with a win in the Group 2 $200,000 P.W. Glass Fillies Classic (1600m) at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day during the 2016 Melbourne Spring Carnival and Brideoake was happy with her first up run when seventh to Kenedna in the Group 3 $150,000 The Vanity (1400m) at Flemington on February 18.

“Her first-up run was good and then her second-up run was not much good but she did jar up,” Brideoake said.

“Now we’re in pretty good shape I think.

“She won brilliantly on Cox Plate day last spring and other than that small hiccup during her last run with the track being so firm, things are good.”

“You’d think a Savabeel filly out of a Montjeu mare would relish that sort of trip,” Brideoake said.

Nurse Kitchen will be up against some classy fillies in the Vinery Stud Stakes with Kiwi filly La Bella Diosa, Chris Waller’s pair of Foxplay and Dawn Wall as well as Harlow Gold and the in-form Cassadee all listed in the final thirteen horse field.

La Bella Diosa has drawn the outside gate with Jason Collett back in the saddle and she showed her liking for a wet track with a solid win against the three year old fillies in the Group 2 $200,000 Theraces.com.au Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on February 25 but then finished down the track against the older mares when last of nineteen in the Group 1 $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill on March 11.

Foxplay was back in the winner’s circle with her last start victory in the Group 2 $200,000 Cellarbrations Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on March 11 and will jump from barrier eleven with Hugh Bowman taking over from the suspended Kerrin McEvoy.

Waller will also saddle up Dawn Wall who will be stepping up in class again after completing a hat trick of wins with her victory in the Group 3 $200,000 Arrowfield Kembla Grange Classic (1600m) at Kembla Grange on March 10.

Golden Slipper winning jockey Ben Melham takes the rode on Dawn Wall who will jump from gate three.

Cassadee has drawn barrier eight with Tim Clark booked to ride and the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained filly is also stepping up in class after winning a 2040m BenchMark 70 Handicap ay Moonee Valley on March 13.

The Lindsay Park trained Harlow Gold is progressing nicely up through the distances this preparation and the 2016 Crown Oaks runner up is ready to tackle the 2000m of the Vinery Stud Stakes after finishing fourth, one and a half lengths behind Hey Doc, in the Group 1 $750,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 4.

Regular jockey Regan Bayliss takes the ride again on Harlow Gold who has drawn barrier five in the Vinery Stud Stakes.

The Field of the 2017 Vinery Stud Stakes

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Hcp Rating
1 14x3111x10 LA BELLA DIOSA (NZ) Mandy & Matt Brown Jason Collett 13 56kg 103
2 12x114x241 FOXPLAY Chris Waller Hugh Bowman 11 56kg 98
3 x611562x34 HARLOW GOLD (NZ) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Regan Bayliss 5 56kg 94
4 5111 DAWN WALL Chris Waller Ben Melham 3 56kg 82
5 1x01x70 NURSE KITCHEN (NZ) David Brideoake Blake Shinn 2 56kg 82
6 3x52316x57 SMART AS YOU THINK John McArdle Corey Brown 7 56kg 80
7 6x2231x552 LUBITON Bjorn Baker Glyn Schofield 1 56kg 78
8 154811 CASSADEE Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Tim Clark 8 56kg 74
9 5435149×70 MOQUEEN Anthony & Edward Cummings Brenton Avdulla 9 56kg 71
10 22x435x211 MONTOYA’S SECRET Leon & Troy Corstens Noel Callow 4 56kg 67
11 081×4135 CONCESSIONS Scott Singleton Ms Jess Taylor 12 56kg 66
12 4×673161 SHE’S MAGICAL Gregory Hickman 6 56kg 66
13 6080×5362 KAMILI Pat Carey Damien Oliver 10 56kg

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.