Metropolitan start beckons for Adelaide filly Miss Belisa
TALENTED filly Miss Belisa exceeded expectations when winning at Morphettville last start and it now gets its chance in Melbourne.
The three-year-old by Lope de Vega scored a 2.6-length win over some talented runners and that prompted trainer Dan Shepherd to try his hand at Caulfield in the VOBIS Gold Plate this Saturday.
Due to a lack of suitable races over the next few weeks, Shepherd decided to run Miss Belisa at Caulfield in a run that could put it on the radar for bigger races next year.
“There’s no suitable distances races in Adelaide coming up so we decided to give her a chance in Melbourne this Saturday or next Wednesday at Flemington,” Shepherd told Horsebetting.com.au.
Shepherd is pleased with how the filly pulled up following its stunning win at Morphettville where it firmed in from $21 to $10 at CrownBet.
“She’s pulled up really well from Morphettville,” he said. “We thought she would run well, but we didn’t expect it the way she won against those horses.”
A group one could be on the cards for Miss Belisa in the autumn if the three-year-old continues to indicate that it wants more ground.
“I think she will get more ground and hopefully she can go to the Adelaide Oaks later in the autumn,” Shepherd said, who has no worries about a drying track at Caulfield.
“I think she’s pretty adaptable and she might let down better on top of the ground.”
Miss Belisa will be facing a hot field on Saturday, including the unbeaten Shoals which made it four wins from four starts in the Atlantic Jewel Stakes last start.
Despite having already won at stakes level, the quality filly is looking for some VOBIS Gold bonus money and it’s now into $9 for the Group 1 Thousand Guineas next month.
Trainer Anthony Freedman has pencilled in the Guineas Prelude on October 1 as a possible next-up start following Saturday.
“Her record says she’s a good filly,” Freedman said.
“She just gets it done. We’ve just got to find out now whether she gets to a mile or not.
“She has only been to 1200m. The Prelude will tell us where we’re going.”