Spring carnival plans for Doubtfilly are unchanged despite her first-up defeat at Doomben on Saturday.
Apprentice Anthony Allen was forced to make use of Doubtfilly, a red-hot $1.85 favourite in the Dulux Project Services Handicap, but praised the filly’s courage to fight on and finish second to first starter Grayson Square ($31).
“She was a little bit excited when she came out of the gates and I had to use her up a bit to get over otherwise she was going to be caught wide going to the first turn,” Allen said.
“But she still fought on well when the winner came at her and she had a good blow after the race.
“She was a bit underdone today but I thought she did a good job considering a couple of things were against her.”
Trainer Stuart Kendrick still plans to head to Sydney with Doubtfilly with the Group Two Furious Stakes (1400m) at Warwick Farm on September 8 likely to be her next start.
“She was a little bit soft first-up but by the same token the winner might be a pretty smart horse,” Kendrick said.
“I was pleased with the way she kept fighting on and she didn’t shirk her task at all.
“That run should bring her on and I’ll decide in the next day or so whether she goes to Sydney on Tuesday or I give her another week here before taking her south.”
Although Grayson Square was having his first start on Saturday, trainer Brian Wakefield was quietly confident the gelding would perform well.
“He’s always shown plenty of ability and he will definitely improve on that run given it was his first start in a race,” Wakefield said.
Earlier, trainer David Murphy nominated the Ipswich Cup as a long term goal for Revitalise after he won the Programmed Property Services Handicap (1600m).
Murphy is happy for Revitalise to progress through the restricted ranks this campaign but believes the gelding can measure up in feature races at next year’s winter carnival.
