Mare remains on target for Group 1
John Bary is mulling over his lead-up options with Miss Wilson ahead of her Group 1 goal at the Queensland winter carnival.
The Hawke’s Bay trainer was forced to withdraw the mare from Saturday’s Group 3 Rotorua Stakes (1400m) due to a heavy track, but has no concerns about the impact of missing an outing.
“There’s a flight on June 8 so she’ll head to Brisbane for the Tatts Tiara, it will just be the one run and then she can spell over there,” Bary said.
“I haven’t quite worked out what we do in the meantime, there’s a few options.
“There’s the Waverley trials, although that’s a three and a-half hour trip, or maybe an exhibition gallop here.
“I think they have jump-outs every Tuesday over there so she could have a run along and then into the Tiara on June 23. We’ve got a few options and she’s still got residual fitness so I’m not worried.”
The feature fillies and mares’ race will be run at Doomben, a course Bary is confident will suit Miss Wilson, and a track he has enjoyed past Group success on.
He prepared The Hombre to win the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2020m) there in 2006.
Miss Wilson hasn’t raced since the daughter of Stratum produced a career-best performance to win the Group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) in early April.
“She’s a valuable mare no matter what, she’s won two Group 3s and the Group 1, and her half-brother wasn’t bad,” Bary said.
He was referring to former New Zealand Horse of the Year Jimmy Choux, now resident at Rich Hill Stud, who was a multiple Group 1 winner for Bary and finished runner-up in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m).