Adelaide’s premier trainer Phillip Stokes expects to get a better idea about Miss Gunpowder’s Thousand Guineas prospects when the filly makes her Melbourne debut in the Quezette Stakes at Caulfield.
Miss Gunpowder has won her only two starts in Adelaide and steps up to stakes company for the first time in Saturday’s Group Three 1100m race for three-year-old fillies at Caulfield.
Stokes has Miss Gunpowder nominated for the Group One Thousand Guineas (1600m) in October and is hoping the filly keeps stepping up to warrant a crack at that race.
“She has done everything right to date,” Stokes said.
“This is her hardest test and we just want to see where she sits in the pecking order. On what she’s shown so far, she’s above average.
“I reckon she will get out to a mile. Is she a Thousand Guineas miler? I don’t know yet.
“But I’ve worked her with some of my better horses that have been to Melbourne and raced well and she has worked (gone) with them.
“So that’s encouraging.”
Miss Gunpowder, a daughter of Pendragon, resumed from a spell in a late-season race for juveniles at Morphettville on July 25 over 1100m.
After being held up at the top of the straight, the odds-on favourite sprinted along the inside to win by 1-1/2 lengths.
“I thought it was quite a good win and she’s taken good benefit out of that,” Stokes said.
Miss Gunpowder has barrier 10 in a field of 13 for the Quezette Stakes (1100m) which includes the exciting Ciaron Maher-trained Petits Filous who has barrier six.
Petits Filous has won both her starts at Moonee Valley in impressive fashion.
Group winner Thurlow resumes and has the outside barrier.
