The black-type status attached to the Chester Manifold Stakes has Sydney trainer Jason Coyle preparing to send Insensata south to Flemington.
Six-year-old mare Insensata is entered for both the Listed Chester Manifold (1400m) at Flemington and a benchmark-88 over the same distance at Randwick on Saturday, with Coyle planning to put the mare on the float on Thursday night to travel to Melbourne.
“Looking at both races, the prize money on offer for both is good and there’s a lot of positives to both races,” Coyle said.
“I guess the thing that probably swayed us is that it’s a stakes race and she’s a mare that’s getting a little bit older.
“Unless something changes at this stage she will travel down tonight.”
The Chester Manifold has attracted a field of eight, with Godolphin’s Duca Valentinois the lone horse in the field to have won at stakes level.
Insensata has been tried in black-type races 12 times with her best finish fourth in the Group Three Tibbie Stakes at Newcastle during the 2018 spring.
“We’ve been trying for a long time with her and she’s been unlucky in a few stakes races and probably not run right up to the mark in a couple of others,” Coyle said.
“Hopefully it’s just a matter of time before she gets that little bit of luck and it’s her turn to pick up a bit of black-type.”
Insensata’s latest chance at stakes level comes on the back of a last-start eighth in the Listed Christmas Stakes (1200m) at Randwick where was could not be tested until the final 50m after striking traffic.
“I think her two runs this preparation have been much better than they read on paper,” the trainer said.
“I don’t think she could be in much better order at this stage of her preparation.
“I think she is going as good as she probably ever has. For a couple of preparations there she probably got a little bit lost.
“She was still able to win a race down in grade last preparation in Queensland but I think both her runs this time in have been full of merit.”
Lightly raced Bumper Blast, winner of three of his five starts, was the $2.25 favourite on Thursday to record a first stakes win while Insensata was at $14
