Jockey Tyler Schiller admits he expected more from Makarena first-up, but he is keeping faith in the classy mare and says she will strip significantly fitter in the Newcastle Stakes.
Makarena started an odds-on favourite when she resumed in last month’s Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) and after crossing from a wide gate to sit outside the leader, she battled to the line to finish fourth.
She historically improves second-up and from a good draw in barrier five, Schiller expects her to rebound on Friday.
“She was entitled to be a short-priced favourite and I thought she was a little bit disappointing,” Schiller said of Makarena’s fresh performance.
“Drawing that awkward gate, she had to do a bit more work than we would have liked but we also got there comfortably and I thought she was the quality horse of the field and she would have kicked on with it.
“She’s a big, gross horse. She is built more like a colt or stallion than a mare so hopefully she takes big improvement from that and we see a lot better horse on Friday.”
Mares have a reasonable recent record in the Newcastle Stakes (1400m) winning three of the past 10 renewals with Princess Posh, who was successful with 55.5kg in 2019, among that group.
Makarena will carry two kilos more and concede 3.5kg to the majority of her rivals, but Schiller says that is the least of his concerns given the four-year-old’s robust frame.
“She is a solid girl,” he said.
“She’d carry a bus if she had to and she probably just needed the fitness first-up.”
Bookmakers have marked the Hawkes Racing mare as a $3.70 favourite, ahead of the consistent Sandpaper ($4.20) and topweight Amenable ($6).
Amenable was Group 1 placed in last year’s All Aged Stakes (1400m) and tackles the Newcastle feature first-up following a below par spring.
