Trainer Grahame Begg is heading to Flemington confident She’s A Hustler is over her hangover of chasing Pride Of Jenni.
She’s A Hustler heads to the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) on Saturday with Begg happy in the knowledge Pride Of Jenni is not in the race.
Pride Of Jenni and She’s A Hustler met on three occasions during an autumn-winter campaign in Sydney and Brisbane and Begg believes it took a toll on his mare that is entered in the Caulfield Cup, the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup.
“She was thwarted by wet tracks, and I think she might have had a bit of Pride Of Jenni hangover,” Begg said.
“Her first three runs back last preparation, she was in three hard run races.
“It might have gutted her a bit. Instead of getting in a race where you could flow and go through your gears, each race was a high tempo.”
That pressure won’t be there on Saturday with the field cut to 10 following the withdrawals of Birdman, Buckaroo and Aeliana.
Begg said Saturday’s Makybe Diva kick-off best suits She’s A Hustler’s program towards the Caulfield Cup.
After Saturday it will be the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 3 then two weeks later the Caulfield Cup.
“It’s such a tight turnaround after winter,” Begg said.
“The right race for her is probably the Underwood over 1800 metres, but it’s only two weeks, two weeks (to the Caulfield Cup).
“Going that way, you don’t get to have a three-week buffer.
“It’s a very tight schedule, unless you started early in something like the Heatherlie, but she looks to be tracking nicely.
“She’s got good residual fitness from Brisbane and having that has allowed us to kick off here as she raced right up until the middle of June and then she was able to have a bit of a break up there.”
She’s A Hustler has had two trials at Caulfield Heath to prepare for Saturday’s return, winning her latest over 1400m.
“She took enormous improvement from her first trial to her second,” Begg said.
“And her coat is really starting to move now.”
