Trainer Chris Waller has revealed that talented mare Red Tracer will have her next race start in the Group 2 Emancipation Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on April 5.
Red Tracer remains on track to return to Group 1 racing in the Queen Of The Turf Stakes at Royal Randwick on April 19. Photo by: Steve Hart
Red Tracer had a breakthrough year in 2013, winning the Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) and the Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m), and has maintained that form since returning to the races; taking out the Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 1 before finishing an unlucky third in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Royal Randwick last weekend.
The Dane Shadow mare was included in the nominations for the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1600m), which will be run at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, but Waller elected not to run the six-year-old in the Group 1 event and will save the star mare for the Emancipation Stakes and Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 19.
“Just having to back up within seven days; she had a pretty tough run the other day after knuckling badly at the start,” Waller said when asked why he didn’t run Red Tracer in the Coolmore Classic.
“She is not a big horse and with the 59 kilos I thought that it was going to be hard for her to go on as well as perform at her best.
“We thought that it was best to wait for set weights and penalties racing in the Emancipation on Slipper Day and then two weeks later until the Queen Of The Turf.
“She will be much better suited there.”
Red Tracer was well-backed in the lead-up to the Canterbury Stakes last weekend, but suffered interference and was lucky to stay on her feet after blundering in the early stages of the race.
Waller said that the two-time Group 1 winner had taken no long-term harm from the incident and he is confident that she will be at full fitness for her final two runs during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.
“She is fine,” Waller said.
“She had a couple of little cuts, but no infection or anything.
“They have basically healed now and she is 100 percent.”
Red Tracer ($6) is currently on the second line of the 2014 Queen Of The Turf Stakes betting market at Ladbrokes Australia; with Appearance ($4.40) a clear favourite after starting her autumn preparation with three straight wins.
