Amarela holds a nomination for the Stocks Stakes at Moonee Valley but trainer Nigel Blackiston plans to wait to step her up to Group company.
Instead of Friday night’s Group Two Stocks Stakes (1600m) for mares, Amarela will run in a benchmark 84 race over 1400m at Caulfield on Saturday.
Amarela won a fillies and mares’ benchmark race over 1600m at the corresponding meeting a year ago.
Should Amarela perform to expectations at Caulfield, Blackiston has a stakes race in his sights for the five-year-old.
“At this stage she’ll run on Saturday and then she can go to the Group Three at Caulfield on the Wednesday, 11 days later,” Blackiston said.
That race is the Ladies Day Vase (1600m) for mares in which Amarela finished third a year ago to claim her first stakes placing.
Amarela pleased Blackiston with the way she found the line from back in the field first-up at Caulfield on September 17 when she finished sixth, two lengths behind the winner Alaskan Rose.
“I thought she was excellent,” Blackiston said.
“She finished the race off really well. She’s come back in good order and I’m hoping she has a good campaign.”
A 1700m race for mares’ on Melbourne Cup day at Flemington is also on the radar for Amarela, while the Matriarch Stakes four days later is another option.
