David Brideoake is looking forward to testing Nurse Kitchen at Group One level
David Brideoake believes there was a genuine excuse for Nurse Kitchen’s last-start failure and the Victorian trainer is now looking forward to testing the filly at Group One level for the first time.
Brideoake is sending Nurse Kitchen to Sydney for Saturday’s Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) for fillies at Rosehill.
It will be the Group Two winner’s first time over further than 1600m.
“You’d think a Savabeel filly out of a Montjeu mare would relish that sort of trip,” Brideoake said.
Nurse Kitchen was an impressive winner of the Group Two Fillies Classic over 1600m at Moonee Valley last spring at just her third career start.
After a pass mark in her return when seventh in the Group Three Vanity (1400m) at Flemington, Nurse Kitchen beat only one runner home in the Group Three Matron Stakes (1600m) at the same track on March 11.
“Her first-up run was good and then her second-up run was not much good but she did jar up,” Brideoake said.
“Now we’re in pretty good shape I think.
“She won brilliantly on Cox Plate day last spring and other than that small hiccup during her last run with the track being so firm, things are good.”
Blake Shinn will ride Nurse Kitchen in the Vinery and Brideoake said the three-year-old worked well on Tuesday in preparation for her trip north.
Nurse Kitchen’s Fillies Classic win was on a soft track but Brideoake said she was unknown on anything worse.
“We don’t really know with her in extremely heavy ground because she’s never been on it ,” he said.
Nurse Kitchen also holds a nomination for the Australian Oaks (2400m), two weeks after The Vinery.
The Brideoake-trained Thames Court, meanwhile, runs in Friday night’s Group Two Sunline Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley where she will be re-united with Hugh Bowman.
Bowman’s two rides on Thames Court have been a third in the 2015 Fillies Classic at Moonee Valley and victory in the Alexandra Stakes at the same track a year ago.
