After bursting through late to win her most recent start at Flemington, three-year-old filly Kuramae is set to chase back-to-back city wins when she heads to Caulfield.
Trained by Matthew Williams at Warrnambool, Kuramae has won two of her three starts this preparation, recording her first city win when she sprinted through a gap to beat Bella Amore in a 1400m-benchmark 70 against her own age and sex on December 21.
“She’s not a very big filly but she’s tough and she’s honest,” the trainer said.
Kuramae stays in the same grade in Saturday’s Margaret Hogan Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield and despite rising 3kg to 58.5kg Williams is hopeful of a similar result.
“I think she’ll be right in the mix,” Williams said.
“I think she actually is better when she doesn’t see daylight too early.
“In a couple of runs in her first preparation she probably looked the winner, including at the May carnival in the two-year-old race at Warrnambool where she hit the front at the furlong and got run down.
“I think she’s better if she’s held up and has that last crack at them.
“That seems to suit her so she will be ridden around midfield and patiently to have that last crack again.
“If she gets the breaks at the right time she’s certainly a winning hope again.”
Shezawitness was the $3.40 favourite on Thursday and is one of two runners for the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable along with Bella Amore.
Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra also have two runners including $3.80 second favourite Mrs Beckham, a last start Caulfield winner, while Kuramae is at $9.50.
