The third phase of Kirramosa’s career has begun exactly as her trainer hoped it would and the mare goes to the George Main Stakes in the best condition she has been in for almost two years.
Since she won the 2013 VRC Oaks, Kirramosa has suffered injuries that while not career-threatening, have been a source of frustration for John Sargent.
Kirramosa
She missed the autumn of 2014 with a hamstring problem and had a less than happy spring preparation last year.
The 2015 autumn also passed her by as she recovered from a hairline fracture of a pedal bone.
With his fingers crossed this time around, Sargent will saddle her up for Saturday’s Group One race at Randwick and believes her two recent runs show she can be effective at 1600m.
Kirramosa has finished fifth, beaten less than 1-1/2 lengths each time in a 1200m benchmark handicap and the Group Two Tramway Stakes (1400m).
“She is injury-free for the first time in two years which is great to see,” Sargent said.
“And she gets Tommy Berry back on for the George Main.
Berry rode Kirramosa to her win in the traditional lead-up to the VRC Oaks, the Group Two Wakeful Stakes before Nash Rawiller was back aboard for her Classic victory.
A year later, Berry got his chance in the Oaks on the Sargent-trained Thunder Lady but had to settle for second behind the Ciaron Maher-trained Set Square.
He also rode her to two of her four starts last spring when she failed to show the kind of dash as this year.
“With her it’s always race by race but she gets into the Epsom with a light weight of 52 kilograms so that’s the plan after the George Main,” Sargent said.
“After that we’ll wait and see.”
Kirramosa is a $13 chance in the George Main with the Chris Waller-trained favourite Kermadec coming in for more support with the prospect of a wet track, firming from $2.90 to $2.40 with the TAB.
