Talented mare Liesele is in career-best form but trainer Liam Birchley believes she has earned a spell.
Birchley is proud of Liesele’s achievements this campaign but he intends to spell the five-year-old before she chases more ambitious goals early next year.
“She’s had a nice confidence builder going to the paddock and I’ll look at some black-type races for her in Sydney next time in,” he said.
“You couldn’t ask for one as consistent as she is. This preparation she’s been a complete model for putting together a string of honest performances.”
Liesele has impressed Birchley with her ability to race handier than she has in past campaigns.
“From the start of this preparation she’s continued to improve to the point where we’ve been able to position her better in races,” he said.
“In the past if she’d drawn bad gates we had to drag her back and it became a total nightmare but this time in she’s been a lot more professional and it’s paying dividends.”
Jockey Damian Browne supported Birchley’s decision to spell Liesele, the $2.50 favourite, believing the mare is looking for a break after her win in the Brand & Slater Quality (1200m) when she defeated Beggin ($11) by a neck with Sea Marvista ($51) a long neck away third.
“She was tradesman-like today but I think she’s just starting to feel the effects of a pretty long campaign,” Browne said.
“That was her third run in four weeks but to her credit she kept finding the line even with 59 kilograms on her back.”
Browne was content to allow Liesele to stride forward in the first 400m to settle outside the leader Beggin before edging clear in the final stages.
