The search for a suitable surface has prompted trainer Robbie Griffiths to send last-start provincial winner Romancingthestone into battle at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Griffiths scratched Romancingthestone from a race at Sandown on Wednesday when the track was heavy because the filly has failed in that going before.
He is hoping his decision is justified in the Sportingbet Handicap (1000m), with Moonee Valley rated in the dead range.
Romancingthestone finished fifth in Listed company on debut last spring and has had three starts this campaign for a first-up second at Sandown, a heavy track failure, and then a three-length maiden win on the Geelong synthetic track.
“I think she’s a good filly but I think she’ll be a good dry-track filly and probably more so a summer filly,” Griffiths said.
The trainer is also still learning about Romancingthestone which he said made it harder to predict what level she could reach.
“We don’t know enough about her yet but what we’ve seen, we’ve liked,” he said.
“So hopefully she will rise to the occasion.”
Romancingthestone is on the third line of betting, with the Tony Vasil-trained colt Under The Louvre favourite.
Under The Louvre was an impressive four-length winner in a 975m Swan Hill maiden on debut three weeks ago and caught Griffiths’ eye.
“Whether we can beat that horse remains to be seen but she’s going to make her presence felt,” Griffiths said.
Griffiths also has Shogun Star entered but said the gelding would likely run at Geelong on Friday to try to win a maiden.
