Bruce Hill is keeping a lid on Magic Millions expectations for Caliente but jockey Paul Hammersley doesn’t need any convincing.
Hill won’t be rushed into announcing a summer campaign for Caliente who is qualified to run in the Magic Millions Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast on January 12.
“I’ll see how she pulls up before I work out where she has her next start,” Hill said after Caliente won the $100,000 Mode Plate.
“There are a few options we can take but we’ll just see what happens.”
While Hill was non-committal about the Millions, Hammersley believes she is the right type.
“There will be plenty of speed on in that race and it’s at her home track so she looks well suited,” he said.
“It’s a race that would suit her down to the ground.”
Hill says Caliente is a better filly this campaign than she showed during the winter.
“To be fair to her she got decked a few times in her races last time in and she didn’t have the smarts to cope with it,” Hill said.
“But this time in she’s developed mentally the way I was hoping she would.”
Caliente will be even better suited when she steps up in journey, according to Hill.
“I think she’ll get a mile easily enough and I think she can keep taking the necessary steps,” he said.
Tim Bell was confident Sookie could win until Caliente swept past him in the final stages.
“I thought she had them covered at the furlong but the winner went past us like we were standing still,” Bell said.
