Five days of no racing or trials in Victoria could not have come at a worse time for two of trainer John Mcardle’s unbeaten fillies La Rocque and Tycoon Humma.
Needing a trial to progress their fitness for upcoming engagements, McArdle has instead entered them for a two-year-old fillies race over 1000m at The Valley on Saturday.
A final decision on whether the pair takes their place will not be made until Wednesday morning after McArdle assesses how they have recovered from a gallop at Mornington on Tuesday morning.
“Basically, the story is pretty simple,” McArdle said.
“There are no trials in Victoria and there is nowhere for me to trial them, so they’ll be going to a race that they weren’t going to race in.
“They’ll be going to The Valley on Saturday to have a trial basically. They’re not very fit, but hopefully their class will have them being competitive.”
The Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 14 was supposed to be Tycoon Humma’s start-off point.
Tycoon Humma will be kept to a sprinters campaign with the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington on the opening day of Melbourne Cup week her goal, although McArdle said there was plenty of other options if the filly shows she is not up to that company.
La Rocque is being aimed at the Group 1 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield on October 13.
She will head to a 1200m three-year-old fillies race at The Valley on August 21 before contesting the Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes at that course two weeks later, after which McArdle hopes to work out a program to the Thousand Guineas.
“They’ll be kept separate,” McArdle said.
“I don’t want to run them against each other. Tycoon Humma is more of a 1000-metre to 1200-metre horse whereas La Rocque looks as though she’ll get further.”
Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au