Talented filly Oakleigh Girl will have her final race start before the Magic Millions in the Listed Calaway Gal Stakes (1010m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Oakleigh Girl made her racing debut with a most impressive victory in the 7News Stakes at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Oakleigh Girl stamped herself as a leading contender for the Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic (1200m) with a dominant victory in the Group 3 7News Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day and was expected to go into the event fresh but trainer Danny Bougoure has opted to give the Snitzel filly another race start rather than a barrier trial next week.
Bougoure told Racing Ahead this morning that the two-year-old will not be fully wound up for her race start this weekend but said that she still has a residual fitness base from her impressive debut performance last month.
“She has come through Flemington very well,” Bougoure said.
“She had a week off prior to flying home and she just did ten days at the beach.
“She is back into work and she has come through in fine fettle.
“She is a month away from the Magic Millions and she is not going to be fully wound up obviously but she will be close enough.
“She hasn’t had a jump out but her residual fitness from the race at Flemington is very good.
“I planned to give her a 1000 metre trial on Tuesday week but the trial is now Thursday so it was probably just getting a bit tight time wise getting closer to the race.
“I thought that we would run her on Saturday in the 1000 metre fillies race at set weights.”
Oakleigh Girl led from start to finish in the 7News Stakes and Bougoure expects her to do the same in the Calaway Gal Stakes this weekend; with the classy filly likely to have too much pace for the other horses in the field.
Bougoure does not believe that this is the only way to ride Oakleigh Girl and he is confident that the well-bred juvenile will be even better when she has the chance to take a sit in the Magic Millions over 1200 metres next month.
“She has shown us from day one that she obviously has above average ability,” Bougoure said.
“She has always gone straight and nothing has ever fazed her.
“She is an ideal two-year-old, being a filly as well she gets a weight allowance in those set weight races, so we had no reasons to worry about taking her to Flemington on Cup Day.
“I think that she will be a better filly once she can settle third of fourth and just get a nice comfy run in behind them and I think that 1200 will suit her right down to the ground.”
Oakleigh Girl ($5.50) is the current favourite in 2014 Magic Millions betting markets, from Echo Gal ($7), Nordic Empire ($8) and Sheer Style ($8).
