Talented filly How Womantic has continued her rise with a determined victory in her first stakes test at Caulfield to remain unbeaten from her first four starts.
With Jye McNeil aboard, How Womantic ($4) raced in a prominent position throughout from an inside draw in Saturday’s Group Three Kevin Hayes Stakes (1200m) and was good enough to hold off the chasers and edge past Enfleurage late to beat her by a neck.
Aquitaine was another long head away third.
“She is obviously a good filly,” How Womantic’s co-trainer David Eustace said.
“Not many win four from four.
“She is still working things out a little bit.
“There’s some big targets now in mind for her and she’s only going to improve. We might stretch her out in trip now, we might not. It’s something we’ll think about.”
How Womantic could get the chance to chase a Group One win at her next start, with Eustace saying the Group One Surround Stakes (1400m) for three-year-old fillies at Randwick on February 29 had to be considered.
“She doesn’t strike you as a filly who you want to suddenly lob into a Group One going the other way. If it was Melbourne way, you’d say ‘let’s go’,” Eustace said.
“But the race is there and 1400 metres is probably what she is looking for now.
“It (Surround) has to be considered.
“Obviously she’s a Group Three winner now. She’s got the option of the Kewney Stakes in Melbourne which makes her a Group Two winner if she wins that, or going into Group One level.
“We’re very lucky we’ve got a smart filly on our hands and we can just work out where we go.”
McNeil believes How Womantic will have no problems stepping up to 1400m.
“She switches off lovely and she maintains a good gallop,” McNeil said.
“I really like her. She’s a lovely filly.”
