Todd Pollard certainly isn’t resting on his laurels with in-form mare Midnight In Tokyo but admits anything more she achieves this Spring will be a bonus.
The seven-year-old was a last-start winner of the Group 3 Show County Quality (1200m), her first win at Group level and her fourth at black type level, with an option between the Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) and the Group 3 Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
While Pollard, who used to run Annabel & Rob Archibald’s Queensland stable – which included caring for Midnight In Tokyo, would prefer to run over 1200m, he’ll decide which race is best after acceptances.
“I’d prefer the Sheraco, 1200 (metres) is definitely her go but looking at the nominations you’d probably lean to the Theo Marks,” Pollard said.
“We’ll accept in both and just see the quality of both fields, I suppose, and where she draws and go from there, because 1300 is sort of her upper limit, I think she gets it okay, but we’d definitely prefer the Sheraco.”
As a 107 rater, Midnight In Tokyo would be asked to carry 56kg in the Theo Marks Stakes with a possible topweight of 59kg, but the possible presence of a pair of 115 raters in the Sheraco, Lady Shenandoah and Lazzura, could favour taking on the boys.
“It’d be interesting to see what does accept there,” Pollard said.
“I wasn’t sure if Lady Shenandoah would after kicking off over 1400 metres but obviously she’s in a different league to what we are, so you’d probably be trying to avoid a horse of her quality so it’s just a wait and see.
A winner of nine races from 37 starts and $961,500 in prize money, Midnight In Tokyo has shown no signs of slowing down into her seven-year-old season with Pollard well accustomed to her routine and how to get the best out of her.
“She had a bit of time in the paddock before coming back into the stable again to get over the trip but she seems to have come through it really well,” Pollard said.
“She’s had a couple of gallops, and Ben Thompson galloped her on the course proper Tuesday morning and he’s over the moon with the way she is.
“She just gets bigger and stronger every time she comes in, her last twelve months have been her best and it looks like she’s got another good twelve months in her.
“I feel like a lot of the pressure is off now that she’s got that group win in Sydney and anything else is just a bonus, but we don’t want to rest on our laurels
“She’s just a good, honest horse, always turns up so we’re confident she’ll go down and run well and as long as she puts the best foot forward hopefully she can go close.”
