Charlotte Littlefield would have preferred that Niance was not one of She’s Bulletproof’s rivals in the How Now Stakes, but she’s hoping the formline through the classy sprinting mare stands up this Saturday at Geelong.
She’s Bulletproof will make her first appearance since the Group 3 event at Caulfield on November 30 in the $200,000 Listed Black Pearl Stakes (1200m).
Niance completed a winning hat-trick in the How Now Stakes, which was a second Stakes success in a row, and while since sidelined with injury, she was being spoken of as a Group 1 prospect which has offered some consolation to Littlefield.
“It was a very good run, obviously Niance is Group 1-class and that’s where they were going before her injury,” Littlefield said.
“We think a lot of our girl and she’s always brilliant after a bit of a freshen.
“Hopefully the Black Pearl Stakes we can knock that Black Type monkey of the back.”
Third in the How Now Stakes was Miss Roumbini, who ran down Pharari, one of She’s Bulletproof’s key rivals in the Black Pearl Stakes, at Ballarat at her next start and is a leading chance for next weekend’s $1 million Magic Millions Fillies & Mares.
Adding merit to She’s Bulletproof’s performance in the How Now Stakes was that she emerged from the 1200m event with a minor injury.
“She came out of the How Now with a slight pulled muscle, so we went sideways with her, she went to the paddock for 10 days and we did a lot of remedial work with her,” Littlefield said.
“She tells us. She’s very smart that horse and she tells us when she’s not right. We couldn’t put a girth near her, which is a tell-tale sign that something’s not quite right.
“But everything she’s done since she’s come back has been very positive.”
She’s Bulletproof, a four-year-old daughter of Shooting To Win, proved her fitness with a dominant Pakenham jumpout win on Christmas Eve.
Craig Williams has been aboard for all but one of She’s Bulletproof’s nine career starts, including all three starts this campaign, but with Williams on the Gold Coast this weekend Littlefield has turned to Beau Mertens with the pair to start from the inside alley.
