Warwick Farm training partnership Amanda Turner and Mauro Poletti are praying for rain at Randwick on Saturday after nominating progressive filly Lisdoonvarna (Super Easy) to test the waters for the Brisbane winter carnival in the Gr.3 J H B Carr Stakes (1400m).
The daughter of Super Easy earned her shot at Stakes grade after winning four of her five starts in Australia, including her last two at Warwick Farm in mid-week grade when defeating some quality opposition.
Bought from New Zealand after one start as a two-year-old, Lisdoonvarna has flourished under the care of Turner and Poletti and the pair will be aiming to use Saturday’s A$150,000 event as an indicator of whether they will head to Brisbane, should the rain come.
“If we get rain, she will definitely be running,” Turner said. “She’s just in her element on a wet track.
“We’ll accept with her but if we don’t get any rain we might not run her, we’re worried the track might be too firm - if she doesn’t run it will upset her program a little but I have to do the right thing by her.
“I have Brisbane in the back of my mind, which is why I don’t want to tax her too much on firm tracks.
“I have a couple of races in mind up north but we will just have to wait and see what happens on Saturday.
“Her performance will tell us one way or another whether she is good enough and that’s why I am keen to run her on Saturday.”
Turner believes the warmer weather and the change in scenery has allowed the three-year-old to develop, although she also believes the best of Lisdoonvarna is still yet to come.
“It is hard to say what level she can get to but everything we have asked her to do she keeps on doing and I think she will continue to improve,” Turner said.
“She has come a long way in a short time but I think she will be even better again next preparation, so who knows how far she could go?"
The filly, who was bred in partnership by Curraghmore's Gordon Cunningham and Hallmark Stud, will step up to the 1400m for the first time on Saturday, although following track work on Tuesday Turner is confident she will run it out strongly.
“I’m not worried about the 1400m,” she said. “I worked her this morning in company and I was really happy.
“It was a strong race at Warwick Farm last start and she hit the line strongly so that should be a good guide.”
Turner said she would inspect the Randwick track on Friday morning before deciding whether Lisdoonvarna would take her place in the field. -Racenet.com.au
