Second place to More Joyous in the Sheraco Stakes has confirmed a trip to Melbourne for Miss Marx.
Trainer David Vandyke was justifiably proud of the mare who led Saturday’s field and held on when More Joyous took control in her season return.
Miss Marx was formerly with John O’Shea and sent to Vandyke by her new owners headed by Edinburgh Stud’s Ian Smith who paid $110,000 for her at the Magic Millions Broodmare sale.
“She ran the race of her life,” Vandyke said.
“She will go to Melbourne for the Testa Rossa Stakes at Caulfield in two weeks.
“It’s a Listed race over 1200 metres which is as far as she wants.
“We’re not afraid to take on the boys after what she did.”
Miss Marx, who has three wins from 16 starts, has had two starts for Vandyke for two seconds.
Vandyke has built his stable numbers up over the past year but the star is still Lamasery who he has nursed through arthritic problems which threatened his career.
Lamasery has had two starts since returning from a long break and performed admirably when fourth to Pinwheel in the Warwick Stakes (1400m) and third to Danleigh in the Chelmsford (1600m).
He is scheduled to step up to 2000 metres in Saturday’s Hill Stakes at Randwick as Vandyke gets him ready for a tilt at the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, a plan that went astray a year ago due to hoof problems.
Lamasery salvaged something from the Melbourne experience with an 1800 metre win in the Listed Johnnie Walker on Cup day.
“He’s due to go around on Saturday and is doing well,” Vandyke said.
Although happy with Lamasery, the trainer says he is a day to day proposition and he won’t hesitate to pull the pin if anything goes wrong.
