The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable has high hopes for two-year-old filly Starianne who is set to progress her racing career at Flemington.
Starianne is down to run in the Listed Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m) on Saturday after making her debut with a sound second a Sandown over 1300m earlier this month.
The Taj Rossi Series Final is the culmination of a series of races targeted at two-year-olds that require a longer distance than their sprinting counterparts.
Busuttin said greenness cost the daughter of Sebring a debut win when she was sent out a short-priced favourite on heavy ground.
Hoops, the Danny O’Brien-trained filly who lowered Starianne’s colours on debut, is among the 18 nominations for Saturday’s contest, that also includes King’s Consort, last start Flemington winner Grinzinger Bishop, Magnaspin and Quang Tri.
Interestingly Back Me Up Benny and Ostile are entered to make their debuts at 1600m.
Busuttin is expecting Starianne to be improved by her debut run at Sandown.
“She didn’t look completely happy in the wet the other day, but she was also green and raw and new,” Busuttin said.
“And she was a bit like that in her trials. She’s knows how to gallop, but she just doesn’t really know what it’s about just yet.
“Once she gets up over a trip, she should be good, so she’ll go to Flemington on Saturday over a mile.
“I think she’s a filly that will be running in some nice filly’s races over the spring.”
The Taj Rossi Series Final was previously run as the Gibson Carmichael Stakes and staged in May before it’s shift to Final Day in 2013.
Previous winners of the race include Cherry Tortoni (2020), Good ‘N’ Fast (2018), Trenchant (2016) and Apache Cat (2005).
