Legless Veuve right for Guineas challenge
Legless Veuve has done what she needed to in a track gallop at Caulfield to convince trainer Stuart Webb to let her take her place in the Australian Guineas.
The three-year-old pleased Webb with her work on Tuesday morning and will contest the Group One race at Flemington on Saturday.
Webb has had Legless Veuve aimed at the Australian Guineas since the filly returned to the stable following a successful spring campaign.
After winning a Sale maiden, Legless Veuve jumped to Group Two company winning the Thousand Guineas Prelude at Caulfield before running down the track in the Thousand Guineas.
She returned to win the Manfred Stakes first-up at Caulfield on February 4 before her preparation hit a snag when fifth in The Vanity at Flemington on February 18.
“She stumbled and lost her hindquarters coming out of the gates and Mark (Zahra) said she wasn’t great after that,” Webb said.
“When she pulled up and they scoped her on-course she’d had a grade three lung bleed.
“She’s back down in the weights on Saturday. Her work has been terrific and we’ve done every test we can.
“Fingers crossed we’re back on track.”
Webb planned on two runs into the Australian Guineas which he described as the filly’s grand final.
However he may consider extending her campaign to take in a run in Sydney.
“The Coolmore is a possibility but she’d want to be running one, two, three on Saturday to warrant that,” Webb said.
Webb is relying on Legless Veuve as his sole Guineas runner after electing to bring Wazzenme back to 1400m in Saturday’s Saintly Handicap.
The winner of one of his 10 career starts, Wazzenme was around the money in the spring before finishing 11th to Divine Prophet in the Caulfield Guineas.
He pleased Webb with a first-up sixth to his stablemate in the Manfred Stakes but was “plain” at Flemington in the C S Hayes Stakes on February 18.
“I think they can all be forgiven for one run so he’ll go back to 1400 metres on Saturday and then we’ll reassess,” Webb said.
“If runs well again, great, but if he doesn’t we may have to think about coming back a grade.”
Another stablemate, Annus Mirabilis, will contest the Roy Higgins Quality as his final lead-up to the Adelaide Cup at Morphettville on March 13.