Annlea faces a quick back-up for the first time in her career when she tries to complete a hat-trick of wins at Caulfield on Saturday.
The Canny Lad filly won second-up over 1400m at Caulfield beating Volando and Very Cherry on April 30 and, stepping out against the colts and geldings, made it two straight when she defeated Fawkner and Pitt Street over 1600m at Flemington last Saturday.
“She’s a very genuine little filly,” Mat Ellerton, who co-trains the three-year-old with Simon Zahra, said.
“We did have in the back of our minds heading to Queensland for the Oaks but we got a run or two behind with her.
“We might give her a little break after this.
“The further they go the more the opposition thins out and she might come back at some stage during the spring.”
Raced by Barrie and Midge Griffiths, Annlea was an $11,000 purchase as a yearling and has won four races and finished runner-up twice from nine starts, already earning more than $150,000 in prize money.
She is out of the Octagonal mare Little Madame, a winner in Sydney and Brisbane, and her great grand-dam is 1987 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Midnight Fever.
“I think being out of an Octagonal mare is where her strength comes from,” Zahra said.
“I think later on she’ll probably get 2000 metres.
“Early days she showed us nothing but as the races have got longer she’s got better.
“It’s a little bit of a surprise how far she’s gone so quickly.”
Stable apprentice Damian Lane, who won his first race in Melbourne last Saturday aboard Annlea since arriving from Western Australia, retains the mount in The Chase Hotel Hcp (1600m).
Annlea is $3.70 favourite, just shading the Peter Moody-trained Volando at $3.80 with TAB Sportsbet, ahead of Barangaroo and Tactless at $6 and Jalsah at $7.
AAP TURF
