Wide barriers have been the bane of Polymnia’s campaign but co-trainer Tom Charlton is again banking on the filly being good enough to handle it when she makes her Queensland debut in The Roses.
The daughter of Dundeel overcame the second outside gate to score at Hawkesbury three starts ago then had a relatively kinder midfield draw when narrowly edged out by Belle Detelle in the Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m).
She again had to contend with a double-figure alley when a closing third behind Saturday’s rival and The Roses favourite Benagil in the Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville and this weekend has the extreme outside gate in 21.
Charlton is taking it on the chin and says while her draw is undoubtedly a challenge, the filly has continued to please the stable and should be suited by a month between runs.
“She has drawn poorly again which has been the flavour of her preparation,” Charlton said.
“She has been travelling a bit but she has seemingly taken it very well.
“She had a freshen up after Adelaide. She will step back into things well and I think 2000 metres this weekend looks a good set-up.”
Polymnia will be one of two Brisbane runners for the stable along with import Klondike in the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m), the gelding looking to rebound from an unplaced effort in the JRA Plate (2000m) at Randwick last month.
In Sydney, three-year-old Hurstville Zagreb will be bidding to join his stablemates in Queensland when he tackles the Chalouhi Handicap (1800m).
The winner of his first two starts, Hurstville Zagreb was favourite for a race at Rosehill in March but was a late scratching when he injured himself in the tie-up stalls.
The setback put paid to hopes for an ATC Australian Derby (2400m) campaign but Charlton and training partner John O’Shea are hoping he can make amends by earning a Queensland Derby (2400m) start.
“He is obviously a progressive horse and he was a little bit stiff not to win the other day,” Charlton said of the horse’s narrow last start second at Gosford.
“He will appreciate getting to Randwick, he will appreciate 1800. You can make a good case for him.”
