With fitness on her side and a liking for the Caulfield layout, trainers Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra have thrown Propelle in the deep end in the Sir John Monash Stakes.
On paper it would appear that Propelle does not have a lot going for her ahead of her third outing at stakes level.
But trainers Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra are banking on the mare’s fitness and a liking for the Caulfield layout when she runs in the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) on Saturday.
In two previous starts in stakes grade, Propelle has only beaten one horse home, but both of those outings were up the straight at Flemington, a track Propelle has yet to win at.
On the otherhand, Propelle has raced at Caulfield on 11 occasions, registering two wins with four further placings.
Saturday’s contest at weight-for-age will be her third run back from a spell having finished seventh first-up to Zipping Boy at Sandown on heavy ground over 1000m before a last start second to Absolute Flirt over Saturday’s course and distance on June 26.
Zahra conceded the stable was having a ‘throw at the stumps’ on Saturday, but this was an opportunity for the rising six-year-old daughter of Smart Missile to pick up some ‘black type’.
“She’s a mare and we’re trying to get a bit of black type early in the winter,” Zahra said.
“She’s had two runs back from a spell, is fit and if she runs top three it adds a bit of value to her.
“She likes Caulfield, she likes cut out of the track.
“It was a massive run the other day and while she’s at her peak, it’s worth having a crack, but these types of races are never weak, they’re always hard to win.”
Dean Yendall rides Propelle for the first time on Saturday with the mare a $41 outsider that sees the Jamie Kah-ridden Malkovich the $2.60 favourite with Sportsbet.
Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au