Kiwi raider She’s Licketysplit is thriving in Melbourne and as a result trainer Andrew Forsman has elected to line her up at Flemington this weekend.
She sealed her ticket across the Tasman with a first-up victory in the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Ruakaka last month and pleased her connections with her third placing in the Gr.2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) 10 days ago at Caulfield.
Forsman has been delighted with the way the daughter of Turn Me Loose has come through her Australian debut and believes a hit-out in the Gr.2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) on Saturday will prime her for the Gr.1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) next month.
“She has come through it remarkably well,” Forsman told Weigh In.
“Second-up it was quite a testing track and it was a very tough run. I am surprised how well she has bounced through it.
“She had a good gallop on Saturday morning with Mr Maestro and both seemed to be in very good order and pulled up like they hadn’t had much of a gallop.
“With that in-mind we are considering giving her a run on Saturday in the Edward Manifold.
“It may just come up a little bit light and a few of the Guineas contenders may not be there. A couple of them ran at Sandown (on Sunday) and the Sydney fillies are in the Flight Stakes (Gr.1, 1600m) this weekend.
“It is an option we are keeping open and it still gives her a week and a half to go into the Guineas and I don’t think that would bother her.”
Forsman has also been pleased with the progress of stablemate Mr Maestro after his win in the Victoria Derby Preview (1800m) at Flemington last week, and he too is set to line-up at the Melbourne track on Saturday.
The Savabeel colt is on a path towards the Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m) and Forsman is rapt with the way he has started his campaign.
“The reason behind taking him over there in the first place was the hope of getting him through to the Derby. He has made a good start and everything has gone to plan at this stage,” he said.
“There is a little bit of water to go under the bridge yet, but all going well he will run at Flemington again in a similar sort of race this weekend.”
Saint Bathans is also campaigning in Melbourne for Forsman, however, the Cambridge conditioner is finding it a bit harder to plan the Maurice gelding’s campaign.
“We are struggling to find a race for him,” Forsman said.
“He is stuck in-between the rating bands at the moment. He was one scratching away from getting a run at Sandown on Sunday which was a perfect race.
“We are stuck between a rock and a hard place at the moment. I think the key with him is trying to win some stake money. He has already picked up a bit in his couple of runs that he has had over there.” – NZ Racing Desk
