Malua Racing has taken the conservative approach with Three Graces and hopes to reap the rewards when the promising filly resumes at Sandown on Wednesday.
The daughter of Sebring made her debut at the same track on May 22, when she beat home all bar Portray in a 1200-metre two-year-old handicap, before being put away with an eye to the future.
Her maturity since has the team confident she can one better in the $55,000 Neville Baker Plate (1300m).
“She’s a promising filly who’s just been very light-on in condition, so we decided to pull the pin last preparation and put her away and try and get some more condition on her,” Malua assistant trainer Dom Sutton said.
“She’s come back in pretty good order and has jumped out well.
“She’s never going to be a big, robust type, so she’s probably going to need spacing between runs, but she’s a pretty promising filly on what she’s shown us and what she did on debut.”
Three Graces’ preparations for her return to racing include a soft 800m Flemington jumpout on November 11 and a third placing in a 1000m Colac jumpout 12 days later.
To be ridden by Jordan Childs on Wednesday, Three Graces has drawn barrier three in the field of nine.
She will be one of two runners for the Corstens stable at Sandown on Wednesday with Brasada, who has recently relocated from Geelong to Flemington, looking to return to form in the BM64.
“He’d been trained out of our Geelong base and we’ve changed things around and moved him to Flemington and just tinkered around with him and tried to freshen him up a little bit,” Sutton said.
“We’re just looking for him to bounce back and if he does bounce back he’s definitely capable of winning that sort of race.”
Brasada has also drawn barrier three but will be ridden by Hannah Edgley, whose 3kg claim means the eight-year-old son of All American gets in with 60.5kg.
The Corstens stable also accepted with Netanyahu in the final event at Sandown but are likely to have him for Saturday’s meeting at the same track.
