Eagle Farm trainer Liam Birchley has his sights set on the Brisbane winter carnival with Emmalene following her first black-type victory in the Gucci Stakes at Flemington.
The Jet Spur filly, who had her first start less than three months ago when she won a Sunshine Coast three-year-old maiden (1000m) on August 14, has now won three of her four starts.
“She is definitely doing the job. It’s really only her first preparation, we’ve spaced her races,” Birchley said.
“She is a late developer and I think she can turn into something quite smart.
“She will spell for the winter. She is eligible for the Magic Millions and as tempting as it is, I think we’ll look after her and come back for the winter.”
Jockey Michael Rodd followed Satin Shoes (barrier one) on Emmalene ($15), who drew immediately outside that filly, and she finished strongly to be a half-length clear of Miss Stellabelle ($5) with race favourite Anise ($3.60) a long neck away third.
Birchley, who is Aquanita Australia’s Queensland-based trainer, applied blinkers to Emmalene for the Listed 1200m straight sprint.
“I put the blinkers on just to help her concentrate, never having been up the straight before, and everything came together well,” he said.
“It (the trip) really will bring her on. The travel is the best thing you can do for the horses if they cope with it and I think she has got better days ahead.”
Rodd was quite impressed with the filly.
“You’ve got to take your hat off to this filly. She has come down from Queensland off a really strong win and Liam has put her in a really nice race, blinkers on and she has gone really well,” he said.
“She is a quality filly Satin Shoes and I knew she would take me most of the straight and I would have to do the rest if I was going good enough.
“I just rode her nice and confidently and once I got outside Satin Shoes I thought I’d just get her over to the other bunch of horses so she didn’t lose sight of what she was doing.”
AAP TURF
