A racing preparation that has begun the opposite way to her debut campaign for Chris Waller could have its first reward at stakes level for former European mare Pipette in the $200,000 Dark Jewel Classic at Scone on Saturday.
Pipette, who had three starts under Kevin Gray in New Zealand after being imported from England, started her Australian career for Waller over extended distances but her return campaign has been much more orthodox.
It’s an approach Waller hopes can deliver a back-type win at the back-end of the mare’s racetrack career.
“We started her off over middle distances when she first came over and worked our way back,” Waller said.
“This time she has been trained to sprint well and she justified that with a good run first-up at Hawkesbury.”
Pipette resumed and raced in the box seat when third in the Darley Crown, less than a length from the winner Aerobatics and just behind Arctic Flight who she meets on the same turns.
“With natural improvement from that run I would expect her to race well again,” Waller said.
In the most open of the five stakes races on Saturday, Pipette holds a prominent market position as one of three horses on the second line of betting at $7.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained Miss Stellabelle, who finished fourth in the Darley Crown, is the $5 favourite.
Trainer Peter Snowden will be looking to add the Listed race to his Darley Crown win and will double-handed with Shannara and Forfeiture.
Shannara, a sister to champion racehorse and now leading sire Lonhro, is easily the best fancied of the duo at $7 as she lines up for the third time in the race.
A rising seven-year-old, Shannara won the race in 2011 and ran second to Upon This Rock in last year’s race when luck deserted her at a critical time.
In spite of being winless for 18 months, her form is comparable to 2012 after appearing to have more to offer at the finish of the Emancipation Stakes than her eighth to Skyerush gives her credit.
