Saas Fee comes from a family close to trainer Gerald Ryan’s heart and the filly is on a mission to live up to her breeding in the Group Three Belle of the Turf Stakes at Gosford.
By Black Caviar’s brother All Too Hard, Saas Fee is out of Snitzerland who Ryan trained to win the 2014 Lightning Stakes.
The filly’s owner Neil Werrett was also the managing owner of unbeaten Black Caviar for whom the Lightning Stakes is now named.
Ryan also trained Snitzerland’s sire Snitzel, winner of the 2006 Oakleigh Plate and now a champion sire.
Saas Fee is the least experienced of the 10 declared runners in Friday’s Belle of the Turf (1600m) having been to the races three times.
She ran third over 1300m on debut as a late two-year-old in June and returned at three to win over the same distance at Warwick Farm late last month.
She again ran over 1300m when second at Rosehill on December 11.
Although both Snitzel and Snitzerland were most effective over short courses, Ryan believes the family is not restricted to sprints.
“She is not like her mother at all,” Ryan said.
“Snitzerland was small and nuggety. This filly is tall and rangy and is strengthening all the time and she has plenty of ability.”
Brenton Avdulla, who rode Snitzerland to her Group One win, will be aboard Saas Fee while James Innes jr will ride her year older stablemate Elusive Nature.
Formerly with Tim Martin, Elusive Nature has had three starts for Ryan for a win and two seconds, the most recent by a nose to Whiskey Shooter, a rival again.
“She has only had three starts for me and her pattern of racing doesn’t always help her,” Ryan said.
“She gets back which may not be ideal but she is a nice mare.”
The Chris Waller-trained Toryjoy is Ladbrokes early $2.90 favourite while Saas Fee is at $7.50 and Elusive Nature is an $11 chance.
