The breeding barn beckons for Palacio De Cristal but Grahame Begg is hoping for more stakes success with the talented mare before her retirement.
The Group One Winter Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 25 has been earmarked as the five-year-old’s racing farewell but before she heads to Queensland the mare will also contest Saturday’s Listed Dark Jewel (1400m) at Scone.
A dry track specialist, Begg has had to be patient with Palacio De Cristal through a frustrating wet period in Sydney in the past month.
The trainer has kept the daughter of Encosta De Lago up to the mark and she produced an excellent gallop at Randwick on Tuesday morning ahead of the filles and mares feature.
“Her work this morning was outstanding,” Begg said.
The five-year-old worked solo on the dirt, clocking 1:04.70 for 1000 metres, coming home her final 600 metres in 35.7s with a last 200 metres in 11.5s.
“She has been going terrific this whole preparation but we just haven’t been able to get her on the right surface,” Begg said.
“She had a nice trial at Randwick last Friday behind Hay List to suit her up for this Saturday’s assignment .
“We are going to get a firm surface at Scone. I wish the race was 1500 metres, just that fraction longer, but you can’t have everything.
“A dry track and a big track, that’s exactly what she wants.”
Palacio De Cristal has won five of her 27 starts with Group Two victories in the 2009 Villiers (1600m) at Randwick and last year’s Blazer Stakes (1400m) at Flemington.
She will head into the Dark Jewel, where Brenton Avdulla rides, with six weeks since her last start fourth in the Group One Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1500m).
“We’ve just had to wait to get her on the right surface,” Begg said.
“It was not what we really originally planned on doing but the way her autumn campaign has panned out we had little other option.”
The fast-finishing galloper’s best result in 10 Group One starts has been a third in last year’s Coolmore Classic.
She will get at least one more chance to break through at the highest level before the curtain is drawn on her racing career.
“She is nominated for the Stradbroke and the Winter Stakes and we’ll keep our options open as to whether we run her in the Stradbroke,” Begg said.
“But we’ll take her up for the Winter Stakes.”
AAP TURF
