A track gallop in saturated conditions will be the key to consistent mare Blurred Vision ending a 20-month run of outs at Canterbury on Wednesday.
Blurred Vision, who drops in class in the Canterbury BMW Handicap (1550m), hasn’t raced on a track rated worse than slow during a 30-start career.
But trainer Robert Price says it is unwise to read too much into that statistic with the midweek meeting certain to be run on a wet track after more than 70mm of rain was dumped on Canterbury on Monday.
“I worked her on a pretty wet track at Nowra on Monday morning and she got through it very well,” Price said.
“If the races are on, she’ll be there and I would expect her to run a great race.”
The last of Blurred Vision’s four wins came when she completed a hat-trick in a 1900m Canterbury race in October 2010.
“She won three races in a row and has probably paid the penalty for that ever since,” Price said.
“Against that she’s nearly always turned up in the Saturday grade and to be fair she’s probably a length short of that class.”
That was evident at her most recent outing when Blurred Vision was beaten just over a length when fourth to Glove at Warwick Farm on June 2.
The five-year-old parked outside the leader and was in contention until giving ground from the 100m mark.
Price said her first-up placing to subsequent Saturday winner San Zaim also presented a strong case for her Canterbury chances.
“She is a very, very consistent racehorse who rarely lets you down,” he said.
Blurred Vision’s opposition in the fillies and mares race will include bog track specialists Who’s Ready and Magnolia Lane.
Who’s Ready has two wins and two placings in five heavy track starts and she is fresh from a soft Newcastle victory.
Magnolia Lane, who was beaten three lengths when 10th to Glove at Warwick Farm, also excels in the mud with two wins from three heavy track starts.
