Abbey Marie is Australasian Oaks-bound
Unbeaten filly Abbey Marie is to be given the chance to emulate her elder sister by winning a Group One Oaks.
Trainer Mick Kent is planning to start Abbey Marie in Saturday’s Australasian Oaks at Morphettville after two wins in Melbourne from her two starts.
“We’re heading that way. As long as she pleases me in trackwork on Tuesday, we’ll pay up,” Kent said.
Kent trained Abbey Marie’s sister Absolutely to win the Group One Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick on a heavy track in 2011.
After winning on debut at Sandown in March, Abbey Marie came from last to win over 1440m at Caulfield last Saturday week.
She faces a rise in distance to 2000m in Saturday’s Oaks but Kent says the talented filly is fit enough.
“She’s pretty fit. So whether she genetically can run ten furlongs or not, we’ll find out,” he said.
Abbey Marie is on the second line of betting at $6 behind the Andrew Noblet-trained Silent Sedition ($5).
The Melbourne-trained Silent Sedition won the Group Three Auraria Stakes (1800m) last start, a traditional lead-up to the Oaks.
Luke Nolen, who has combined for a host of winners with Kent in the past month, will ride Abbey Marie.
Among Nolen’s 20 winners in Victoria during April, seven were for Kent including Abbey Marie, Charlevoix and Supido.
Kent is planning to run Supido in a 1000m open handicap at Flemington on Saturday to try to boost his rating.
The trainer has plans to run him in the Group One Goodwood (1200m) in Adelaide later this month but is concerned he might miss a start.
Charlevoix, an impressive winner of the Galilee Series Final, is heading to the Group One South Australian Derby on Saturday week.