Melbourne jockey Luke Currie will make a flying visit to Sydney to ride Blue Diamond Stakes winner Lyre in a barrier trial as the filly continues her preparations towards the $3.5 million Golden Slipper.
The Anthony Freedman-trained Lyre has arrived in Sydney from Victoria and will have a 1050m trial at Randwick on Thursday, nine days out from the Group One Golden Slipper (1200m) for two-year-olds at Rosehill.
Currie rode the Godolphin-owned Lyre to her fast-finishing win in the $1.5 million Group One Blue Diamond (1200m) at Caulfield at the filly’s most recent start on February 23 and the jockey has retained the ride for the Slipper.
“He is coming up to trial her so he will give us a good guide on how she goes going in that direction,” Freedman’s son and assistant trainer, Sam Freedman, said.
Lyre, who has won three of her four starts in Victoria, arrived in Sydney on Tuesday morning.
“She seems to be going well. At this stage we’re heading towards the Slipper,” Freedman said.
“If she gives us any sign over the next 10 days or so then we’d pull up stumps but at the moment she is thriving and going really well so we’re very happy with her.”
Lyre is on the fourth line of Slipper betting at $11.
Another filly also at $11 is the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Loving Gaby who was sixth to Lyre in the Blue Diamond at just her second career start after winning the Group Three Chairman’s Stakes at Caulfield on debut.
Loving Gaby is also set to trial at Randwick on Thursday over 740m and will head to the Golden Slipper with European-based Oisin Murphy to ride the filly in Saturday week’s big race.
Blue Diamond third placegetter Free Of Debt is also among the two-year-olds down to trial on Thursday.
