La Dorada is one of two three-year-old fillies taking on the older horses in the Group 1 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley.
New Zealand filly La Dorada will attempt to become the third of her age group to win the Group 1 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley.
A Group 1 winner as a two-year-old, La Dorada joins fellow three-year-old filly Esha when makes her seasonal return in the Moir Stakes (1000m) on Saturday, looking to join She Will Reign and Coolangatta as three-year-old filly winners.
La Dorada will start for the first time in Australia on Saturday having had four starts in New Zealand, for three wins, including the Karaka Millions and the Group 1 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).
All the filly’s four starts have been at 1100m and beyond, but Ben Gleeson, the assistant trainer for Mark Walker, believes La Dorada has the pace to be successful at 1000m first-up.
It was a toss-up where to kick-off La Dorada’s campaign as she was also entered in the Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1200m) also on Saturday’s program.
“We could have run her in the Atlantic Jewel, but she would have had 59-½ kilos which is tough for any filly,” Gleeson said.
“She is quite small in stature, and we were more worried about her bottoming out with the big weight, so take away 9-½ kilos, we thought we would have a crack at the Group 1.
“She is arguably the best two-year-old in New Zealand and we saw that form come over last season, with a horse like Bellatrix Star and Savaglee, they were up to Group 1 standard.
“She is probably, on form, better than Bellatrix Star, so if she can show her true colours, there is no reason why she can’t win a big race.”
The walker-trained Bellatrix Star defeated the older sprinters in the Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield last spring before going on to finish second in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington.
Gleeson said La Dorada had been prepared for Saturday’s return at Cranbourne and had had two jump outs to have her ready.
“She’s had two nice jump-outs and some nice gallops,” Gleeson said.
“Laura Winks who rides her, and she used to ride Imperatriz and Bellatrix Star. It’s good to get her opinion, her judgement is incredible, and she said she is more than up to the standard here.”
Gleeson said La Dorada could potentially go to the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at The Valley on September 26 or revert to the Group 3 Scarborough Stakes (1200m) for three-year-old fillies that same night.
The Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield next month is the long-term plan.
“She’s by Super Seth and we think she’s a Thousand Guineas filly, but it’s not a very good program for her,” Gleeson said.
“We could go to the Scarborough or Manikato and then a strong trial into the Thousand Guineas, but she’s not a filly that would cop four or five runs in a prep because she is so small.
“If she was to get to a Thousand Guineas here, that would be great, but we could also take her home for the Thousand Guineas back there.”
Apprentice Luke Cartwright has been entrusted with the ride on Saturday.
Cartwright rode one of the stable’s first winners after setting up a small base at Cranbourne which has expanded in recent years.
“He comes in and rides gallops and does a lot of work,” Gleeson said.
“If you remove the apprenticeship tag next to his name, he is arguably one of the most promising young jockeys in Australia and he deserves his chance.
“We had options of other jockeys, but we chose him.”
