Trainer Angela Davies is hoping the weather at Kembla Grange on Wednesday doesn’t once again thwart her plans with speedy mare Monolith Miss.
Monolith Miss is entered for the Vinery Stud Handicap (1000m) at the Australian Turf Club’s meeting but Davies will wait for the race morning track report before deciding whether to head south from her Gosford base.
“She’s just no good on rain affected ground so it’s a waste of time going if it’s wet,” Davies said.
“I’ve scratched her four or five times in the last three or four months because of the weather.”
Davies got a good track for Monolith Miss at Cessnock on January 9 and the four-year-old raced to a 4-3/4-length first-up win over 900m in track record time of 49.30 seconds.
“It’s a very nice race for her tomorrow if the track is dry,” Davies said.
“She has drawn barrier one and the rail is out (three metres) so that suits her.”
Monolith Miss has started 10 times for three wins in the country area but she is yet to taste success over further than 900 metres.
Her only appearance in city company was a close third over 1100m in a benchmark-69 for fillies at Warwick Farm last March.
“I think 1000 metres is all right for her,” Davies said.
“She’s just so brilliant over 900 that they can’t catch her, but that was probably a career best run the day she raced over 1100 at Warwick Farm.
“That was her toughest test to date that day.
“She’s bigger and stronger this time around and hopefully she runs that extra 100 metres as fast as she runs the 900.”
Kembla was rated a dead (4) late on Tuesday following 72mm of rain in the past three days.
Davies, who has nine horses in work on the NSW central coast, has secured top jockey Corey Brown to ride Monolith Miss who will carry 58 kilograms.
“I’m not really worried about the weight and I think Corey Brown makes up for the couple of extra kilos,” the trainer said.
AAP TURF
