Undefeated three-year-old Chinny Boom will head into unchartered territory at Doomben when she extends to 1200 metres for the first time in the Listed Mode Stakes.
The star filly, who hails from North Queensland, has raced five times, highlighted by an 1100m win at Mackay in September and a blistering 8-1/4 length romp over 1050m at Rockhampton in October in track record time.
She made her first foray to town a few weeks later and proved too classy for her Eagle Farm rivals despite a muddling first section of the race when she was initially beaten for speed and pushed out three-wide before gathering her momentum to zoom up outside the leader.
That was over 1000m but trainer Clinton Taylor says he has put in the groundwork to be optimistic she can extend her brilliance over further.
“A lot of work has gone into her,” Taylor said.
“She wanted to get a bit ‘revvy’ in the early days and we backed off her and worked really hard with her to get her to relax.
“There has been a good foundation set down and that’s why we do believe she can run 1200.
“It’s definitely a question mark but the foundations have been put in place.”
The Mode Stakes has been a campaign target for Chinny Boom since she returned to work at the start of the spring and while Taylor is hoping for a good track, the filly will run regardless.
She is $1.95 with TAB fixed odds to extend her winning sequence and Ben Thompson retains the ride after partnering her last start.
“We’ve hidden her away long enough and this has always been her grand final,” Taylor said.
“We’ve said right from the first day she came back into work that this was the race we’d target her at, and I reckon she is right on song.”
Chinny Boom will be Taylor’s second black-type runner after Betterdeel finished fourth in the 2021 Listed Calaway Gal Stakes.
The filly’s performance on Saturday will determine whether she earns a shot at next year’s Brisbane winter carnival, or if connections set their sights a bit lower.
“We will let Saturday answer those questions and see where we get to,” Taylor said.
