Stradbroke Handicap bound Srikandi needs to win the Group 3 $150,000 Glenlogan Park Stakes (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday to secure a run in the tough 1400m Group 1 sprint.
Srikandi is eased down to win the Juanmo Stakes at Doomben. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Caulfield trainer Ciaron Maher wants to run Srikandi in the Group 1 $1.36m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 7 but admits that the lightly raced filly will have to score another dominant win against the fillies and mares again this week.
“If we’re going to go to the Stradbroke and be a chance to win that, she would need to win again tomorrow,” Maher told Racing Network.
“And if she doesn’t, it simply means she’s not good enough.”
Srikandi has made a huge impression since arriving in Queensland and made it back to back Winter Carnival wins when eased down to score in both the Listed $150,000 Turangga Farm Silk Stocking (1200m) at the Gold Coast on May 3 and the Listed $100,000 Designline Graphics Juanmo Stakes (1200m) at Doomben last week.
Maher considered last week’s win no more than a trackwork session and has no problems about backing up his star filly week to week.
“She was just cantering last week, she would have done more work on the Tuesday on the track than she did in the race on Saturday,” Maher said.
Maher said he wouldn’t normally back his horses up week to week but believes Srikandi is tough enough to cope with it after the three year old was given plenty of time to mature as a two year old.
“The fact we have given her plenty of time is now paying dividends,” Maher said.
“Because we have been so patient now that she is getting close to four, we can give her an extra run or two that you normally wouldn’t do.”
Srikandi had her first race start as an early three year old last September when she won over 1000m at Cranbourne and was them put out again.
Maher brought her back into work in January and the Dubawi filly had her first run back when second over 1000m at Moonee Valley on February 28 which has been her only defeat from six race starts to date.
The filly then won her next two Victorian starts at Mornington and Sandown before scoring her first black type win at the Gold Coast.
Maher is also hoping that a win in the Group 3 Glenlogan Park Stakes will tempt the Handicapper to weight her off the minimum for the Stradbroke Handicap to give her a chance of making the final field.
If the bookmakers are right Srikandi is eyeing off another easy win with Ladbrokes.com.au opening her as the $2.60 favourite for the Glenlogan Park Stakes , well in advance of the second pick, Platinum Rocker, at $6.
The Peter Moody trained Plucky Belle is the next in the betting at $7 just ahead of Joe Pride’s new stable acquisition, former Kiwi trained mare Chintz, at $7.50 with Silk Stocking runner up La Pieta at $11.
