Classy filly Meadow will take the first steps towards a possible dual Oaks campaign when she races at Eagle Farm.
Trainer Desleigh Forster has carefully managed Meadow’s career giving her only four runs before a spell earlier in the season.
Meadow was an impressive Doomben maiden winner over 1630m and turned in an eye-catching third in an open 1600m three-year-old race at Eagle Farm before a break.
She makes her return to racing over 1200 metres against her own age on Saturday when she faces a quality field of young horses.
The filly, who was bred by her owner Basil Nolan of Raheen Stud, has stout bloodlines being by champion sire Redoute’s Choice out of the Encosta De Lago mare Strawberry Field.
Forster said the Australian Oaks and Queensland Oaks had been in the back of her mind for Meadow for a good while.
“She is a lovely filly with the right bloodlines. It will probably be too short for her on Saturday but as long as she races well we will continue with the Oaks plan,” Forster said.
“If she doesn’t come up for the Australian Oaks we can always look at the Queensland Oaks.”
Meadow has won only $20,000 prize money and Forster realises she will need to win a lot more for an Oaks campaign.
Forster will also has the promising Vidarr in the race as the second emergency.
Vidarr was an unlucky third at his first run back from a spell and Forster also has high hopes for him.
The trainer took stable stars Cylinder Beach and Too Good To Refuse to Doomben for a race day gallop on Wednesday and the pair will have another gallop between races at Eagle Farm next Wednesday.
It will be the final public hit-out for the two before they resume in Brisbane later this month on the way to the Sydney autumn carnival.
They each won stakes races during the Brisbane summer and Forster believes they can step up to take on the elite horses.
