Troy Corstens admits he’s going against the norm, running Fromparis Withlove in the Listed Thoroughbred Club Cup a week after her debut.
But the filly’s co-trainer can see no reason not to and considers Saturday’s Caulfield race a good chance for her to chase black type as a juvenile before attention turns to her three-year-old season.
Fromparis Withlove was blocked for a run at a crucial stage in an 1100m juvenile race for fillies last Saturday at Caulfield, losing the momentum she was building early in the straight before regrouping to finish eighth.
“We wanted to get to the outside and unfortunately we couldn’t,” Corstens said.
“Then when Glen Boss went back to the inside the gap closed on her. He was forced to really stop and then go back to the inside and she finished the race off nicely.
“Through the line she was excellent.”
The way Fromparis Withlove has come through her debut has paved the way for her to back up.
“It’s not something that we usually do,” Corstens, who trains in partnership with his father Leon, said.
“We don’t back up a lot, especially with two-year-olds. But she’s really bounced through the run and it’s a good opportunity to try to get some black type.”
Stephen Baster, who won a stakes race on Fromparis Withlove’s stablemate Modern Wonder in Adelaide last Saturday, takes the ride.
While Corstens would have preferred the race to be next week, he said all indications are the filly would run well.
“That’s the only little question mark we have, but the race is this week so we’re going to have a go,” he said.
“Had she shown one sign that she wasn’t going to do it or that she’d gone off her feed or something we wouldn’t be running.
“But she hasn’t.”
Fromparis Withlove is by Smart Missile out of Umaquest who is also the dam of recent J H B Carr Stakes winner Yattarna.
Corstens said the filly had always shown ability and impressed in jump-outs.
He expects she can get out to 1600m and beyond next season.
“Her mother ran in an Oaks, so I could see her running in an Oaks as well,” he said.
Fromparis Withlove opened $31 in TAB’s first market on Wednesday but it didn’t last long and she is at $8 with Godolphin colt Dissolute the $3.60 favourite.
