Passive Aggressive out to extend unbeaten run

Unbeaten in four starts, Passive Aggressive faces another challenge when she tackles older mares for the first time at Caulfield.

It will be Passive Aggressive’s first start at Caulfield when she lines-up in the Group 3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) on Saturday.

Passive Aggressive has been successful at Werribee, Pakenham and twice down the straight at Flemington, but trainer Grahame Begg has high hopes for the daughter of Fastnet Rock.

The last time Passive Aggressive was seen was when successful in the Listed Creswick Stakes (1200m) on June 18 and Begg admits not having a lot of use of the grass training tracks at Cranbourne may act slightly against the mare on Saturday.

But Begg is banking on residual fitness for the mare.

“We haven’t missed any work but we like to put them on the grass tracks if we can, but they’ve been very wet,” Begg said.

“If we haven’t had access to the grass, they work on the Polytrack, but you don’t really let them right down, you just want to keep a little bit under the lap.

“We’re raising the bar. She’s going up against mares on Saturday at set-weights and penalties, so we’ll see if we can tick that box.

“We’ll keep on raising the bar and see where the level is.”

Begg has the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m) at Flemington on September 10 or the Group 3 How Now Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield the following Saturday as immediate options for the mare.

But that will all be decided after Begg sees how Passive Aggressive performs on Saturday.

“We have to be mindful it’s still her first preparation and she’s lacking a bit in race experience and seasoning,” Begg said.

“People have said why don’t you get her ready for The Everest, but it’s like playing ‘park football taking on first-graders’ at this stage.

“We could go to the Manikato Stakes and Champions Sprint if we wanted to, but ideally, we don’t want to go too deep into the spring.

“We want to give her a spring break, so we’ll let her tell us how far we go.”