Simon Zahra declared exciting two-year-old Sweet Little Lies had improved and was ready for her campaign-defining test in the Blue Diamond Preview at Caulfield.
By Elusive Quality, who sired last year’s Blue Diamond Stakes and Golden Slipper winner Sepoy, Sweet Little Lies was dominant when she coasted home by 4-3/4 lengths in the Thomas North Plate on January 7.
She is toss-of-the-coin odds to do the same again on Thursday.
“She’s trained on really well and even her coat looks a lot better,” said Zahra, who co-trains the filly with Mathew Ellerton.
“She took three or four days to get over the run the other day but her work since has been really sharp and she looks like she has improved a little bit.”
Sweet Little Lies is not nominated for the Blue Diamond but the $60,000 first prize for Thursday’s fillies’ Preview would cover the $55,000 late entry fee.
Zahra said there was no rush to pay up for the Diamond with late entries not closing until February 20.
“It really depends on her and what happens tomorrow and the week after that,” Zahra said.
Sweet Little Lies, who dwelt at the start on debut, was able to muster brilliant speed to lead in the Thomas North.
Winning jockey Chris Symons afterwards declared she was as good as any two-year-old he had ridden, including the Zahra-Ellerton trained Crystal Lily.
Crystal Lily won a 2010 Blue Diamond Preview and the Golden Slipper after finishing fifth in the Blue Diamond.
Zahra said he expected Sweet Little Lies would have to fight for the lead in the Preview.
“She has always been a bit slow away, even in her trials, and Chris (Symons) has just got to make sure she jumps and gets into her groove,” Zahra said.
“Once she gets running she is pretty hard to hold off.”
Meanwhile, Flemington trainer Danny O’Brien is eyeing his second Blue Diamond with Cambiaso after winning the feature in 2010 with Star Witness.
The winner of the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes at Flemington in the spring, Cambiaso will return in the colts and geldings’ division of Thursday’s Blue Diamond Preview (1000m).
“He won the first two-year-old race of the season and has had a break since then with everything built on getting him towards the Blue Diamond,” O’Brien said.
“Tomorrow will give us a good idea of how close he is to the better ones but he has done everything right.
“He’s had a good build up and he has trialled well.”
Cambiaso is the $3.40 favourite ahead of Moonee Valley debut winner Repousser ($5.50).
AAP TURF
