1 Behrens Bride, trained by Big Jd racing

Broke her maiden as a two year old and immediately went to Stakes Company and has never looked back. Placed in a couple of graded stakes as a two year old it began to look as she got into her three year old season that she was destined to be a bridesmaid forever as she placed in another four graded stakes on the trot. It took a sloppy track to see her finally add to her maiden win and she did it in style taking the grade one Mother Goose by an impressive three quarters of a length. She raced from the wide gate that day and was taken back which was the winning of the race as she found plenty in the stretch and won well. The question is can she repeat that performance on better ground and I think the answer is yes. The main thing that happened that day is that she raced off the pace whereas in the past she has gone onto the speed. With that lesson learned, she may be a better filly that her placed efforts suggested, and I rather like her chances if the one box doesn’t throw her into the lead.

2 T S Razor, trained by Mb Stables

This one is by far the most interesting runner in the race and to be honest it has nothing to do with what she has achieved on the racecourse. A maiden and allowance winner in swift times she was working up a storm when she was sold twice without seeing the racecourse again. Sanny Village bought her first for $325.000 and then sold her to the returning Australia Wide for $515.000. Her first run for the new owner saw her take a small ungraded stakes race but there was a lot to like with the way she ploughed through the mud that day and she started a strong fancy for the Iowa Oaks last time out. Drawn the dreaded wide gate and left to her own devices she was thrown into the lead by the wide gate speed push but managed a close up fifth in the end. That prompted Australia Wide to sell her again this time to none other than Mb Stables for $350.000. So a filly that has won just over a hundred bucks has seen the three best stables that HRP has ever seen shell out $1,200.000 in the last few months, if that isn’t messed up then nothing is! So who has it right? Will Mb pick up yet another star or have they picked up the biggest white elephant of HRP, only time will tell but a little look at her recent works suggest she may just add to the Mb empire.

3 Sweep The Ash, trained by Running Farms

Another nice filly this one used to be owned by Mb Stables but was part of the house clean that saw the stable clear out some of their less liked three year olds. Out of all of them this filly has probably faired the best placing in the SA Oaks and then taking the Summertime Oaks after a failure in the KY Oaks. That grade two win wasn’t the best race so she was entitled to win it well like she did and it remains to be seen just how good she is. The pleasing thing is that she has at least paid something back out of the $450.000 she cost and she is a decent type so whilst I don’t see her winning she may be able to pick up some place money.

4 Love Me Do, trained by Maverick Racing

Went five from five as a two year old and was bought for a crack at the KYO by Aer Stables for $200.000. She ran OK without hitting the money in her two graded stakes starts for that stable but as the KYO looked unlikely they unloaded her for $250.000 to Maverick Racing, her current owner for $250.000. She has placed better for her new stable finishing third in the Gazelle and most recently finishing strongly for third in the Mother Goose. She was taken back from her wide draw that day but as the winner Behrens Bride was also taken back from a wide draw it is difficult to see her beating that filly today. This is a consistent filly who has always given a good account of herself but I just feel she is a shade below the top class and she would need to find a little to win this. Looks a good place bet though and I would be including her in any exotic bets.

5 The Reaper, trained by Hawaiian Shirt Guy

The BC Juvenile fillies winner she made the rare double by winning the KYO in a thrilling finish in which she managed to dead heat with Broomsticks N Booty . That was huge vindication for her owner who had forked out a thousand dollars to buy her before that race and she took the mantle of fillies champion for two years running in two different age groups. She looked nailed on last time out in the Mother Goose but the rains came and she hated the easy ground eventually ending up fading into a well beaten seventh. You have to put that out of character performance down to the going and without that she would be a very confident choice for this very hot race.

6 Lingerie’s Fantasy, trained by Jerry Garcia Racing

Her last work is just about as fast as it gets for three year old fillies so if you are a home worker kind of gambler this could well be the one to pull off a surprise. Her race course form isn’t so inspiring though with just the two wins coming in overnights. Having said that she was a nose second in the Black Eyed Susan and despite failing in the Acorn she definitely has shown enough to put her in as a live chance.

7 Distant Cousin, trained by D J C Racing Stables

I like this tough and consistent filly a lot and her win in the Iowa Oaks last time was gutsy and good but I just feel that she has hit a very hot field here and may come up a little short. A winner of four from nine with two of those in black type company she hasn’t stopped improving and I would love to see her battle home despite my misgivings. Her works are on the mark and she is another who makes this a great race.

8 Google Maps, trained by Aml Racing

This is definitely a case of last but not least. An easy winner of the SA Oaks that win came from nowhere and suddenly we had another contender for three year old filly of the year. She showed that win was no flash in the pan with a game win in the Black Eyed Susan getting home by a nose after travelling in the stalk. She was strongly fancied for the Acorn last time out but may have found the trip a little sharp and ran on into third beaten just a length. If she can overcome this horrible draw she will definitely be in it to win it but the fear of her being thrown onto the lead is enough of a variable to put me off.

SUMMARY

This is probably the best three year old fillies race of the year so far with every runner having strong claims. It’s hard to settle on one selection and the race will definitely change complexion if the rains come but if it’s a fast track then we may see The Reaper recapture her crown at the expense of Distant Cousin and Google Maps. With rain none of those may make the frame and Love Me Do, Ts Razor and Behrens Bride may fight out the finish.

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES