Trainer Grahame Begg is looking to use a former multiple Stakes winner as a yardstick for promising filly Biologics.
The Listed Creswick Sprint Series Final (1200m) at Flemington on July 4 is potentially on Biologics’ agenda, but first there is the VRC Community Race Day Sprint (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Biologics created an impression when successful on debut at Pakenham in May last year and was expected to be a spring player last year.
But Begg said the filly had some niggling issues that saw Biologics perform below expectations and after two runs she was turned out for a spell.
Biologics returned to score at Werribee over 1100m on May 14Â in comfortable fashion.
The filly was down to run at Sandown on Wednesday, but Begg elected to scratch Biologics with Saturday’s race in mind.
“It was a low percentage play to go to Sandown with 60-½ kilos on your back on a deteriorating track,” Begg said.
“It makes a big difference having 54-½ as against 60-½, so it looks a nice race for her to have a go at and hopefully the track will be OK.
“She’s had one go up the straight previously, and obviously she failed, but she wasn’t right last preparation and hence she had the couple of runs and then we pulled the pin.
“It was a weak race at Werribee, but she did it well, ticking the box, winning another race, and then we move forward.
“If she can run well on Saturday, we’d be looking at the Creswick Final as that’s on in a month’s time and it could be an important race for Jonathan Munz to get some Black Type on the filly, so that could be the long-range plan.”
Munz and Begg won the Creswick Sprint Series Final in 2022 with Passive Aggressive after that filly had won an 1100m race two weeks earlier.
Passive Aggressive had run through the grades quickly from winning on debut at Werribee, to success at Pakenham in the lead up to her dual Flemington wins.
Begg said Biologics could target the early spring mares’ races, but first he wants to see how the filly performs against better opposition.
“The unknown is whether she handles the really soft ground,” Begg said.
“But when she won at Werribee it was a deteriorating track on the day, but she got out very wide and got them.
“We’re drawn out and we’ve got a good jockey on that is in form.”
Lachlan Neindorf takes the ride on Saturday.
