Srikandi is currently on top of 2015 Victory Stakes betting markets, but trainer Ciaron Maher has revealed that the talented mare will not be at peak fitness for the Group 2 event at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Srikandi will return to the races in the 2015 Victory Stakes at the Gold Coast this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart
Srikandi stamped herself as a horse to watch during an impressive 2014 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival campaign, but she has not been seen at the races since she finished third behind River Lad and Temple Of Boom in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) last year and she will be having her first race start in over ten months.
The Dubawi mare performed well in two barrier trials at Geelong on March 30 and Cranbourne on April 14 and Maher said that he is happy with the four-year-old heading into the 2015 Victory Stakes, but he believes she will take plenty of benefit out of the race heading towards the Group 1 BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben on May 9, the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1350m) and the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).
“She’s probably only 85 per cent fit and she’ll take a lot of improvement with this run in the Victory Stakes,” Maher told Racing Queensland.
“She’s got a nice weight and a good barrier, so she should get a good run throughout the race.
“She’s a real competitor and a win wouldn’t surprise me even though she’s a little under done.”
Srikandi started her three-year-old campaign last year with a narrow second at Moonee Valley on February 28 and she earnt herself as trip to Queensland for winter preparation when she led from start to finish at Mornington on March 26 and Sandown on April 16.
The talented galloper made her black type racing debut with an impressive victory in the Listed Silk Stocking (1200m) at the Gold Coast on May 3 and she stamped herself as the favourite for the Stradbroke Handicap with wins in the Listed Juanmo Stakes (1200m) at Doomben on May 17 and the Group 3 Glenlogan Park Stakes (1350m) at the same venue a week later before her credible third in the Stradbroke Handicap.
Srikandi is currently available at 2015 Victory Stakes odds of $5 with Ladbrokes and she is currently locked in a battle for favouritism with progressive sprinter Ball Of Muscle ($5), last year’s Victory Stakes winner Temple Of Boom ($5.50), Group 1 placegetter Knoydart ($6) and Stradbroke Handicap winner River Lad ($7.50).
