Stakes winning filly Bella Rosa is set to begin her campaign aimed at the Group One Blue Diamond Stakes when she returns in the Chairman’s Stakes at Caulfield.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Bella Rosa won the Group Three Ottawa Stakes (1000m) at Flemington in November, beating Lankan Star who resumed with an impressive win at The Valley on Friday night.
Bella Rosa was given a break after her debut with a view to the $1.5 million Blue Diamond on February 23 and she is one of five two-year-old fillies from the Maher/Eustace stable nominated for Saturday’s Group Three Chairman’s (1000m).
Eustace indicated Bella Rosa and debutante Seatonic were the most likely to run.
“It might all change in the morning but at this stage Bella Rosa and Seatonic will go there,” Eustace said.
“Loving Gaby will go to a race on Friday night at The Valley.”
Sensitivity raced on Sunday at Geelong while Eustace said unraced Odaline might race at The Valley on Friday night or Warrnambool on Tuesday week.
Bella Rosa, by Snitzel out of Swiss Rose, had a pleasing jump-out at Caulfield last Tuesday and Saturday’s race is her only planned lead-up to the Blue Diamond (1200m).
“She has come up well I think,” Eustace said.
“She jumped out last week and she seems in good order.
“She’s a smaller, stronger style of Snitzel and they tend to be the ones that go quite well. She’s improved since the spring.
“We wanted to go three weeks into the Diamond with just the one run under her belt.”
Eustace said Seatonic, by Sebring out of Sistonic, was a sharp filly.
“She has always shown a lot of natural speed and has done in both her jump-outs,” he said.
“She’s the sort of filly that will put herself there and travel off a good tempo and hopefully then be able to pick up off that. If she can then you’re going to win some races.”
Seatonic is also among Blue Diamond nominations.
The Chairman’s Stakes, which has 21 nominations, is one of three stakes races on the program, the others being the Group Three Manfred Stakes (1200m) for three-year-olds and the Listed W J Adams Stakes (1000m).
Maher and Eustace have Oakleigh Plate-bound Bons Away resuming in the Adams Stakes which has 15 entries headlined by Written By and Nature Strip.
