Stakeswinner Sister Madly is back in peak condition ahead of Saturday’s Galaxy and what will be one of her last attempts to snare a Group One victory.
A half-sister to former Hong Kong champion Silent Witness, Sister Madly has been placed at the elite level twice when second in the 2009 Flight Stakes to More Joyous and third in the 2010 Robert Sangster won by Rostova.
She is in the catalogue for the National Broodmare Sale in June and trainer Anthony Cummings has been battling to get her fit this autumn following a hoof injury.
“She had a puncture wound in her frog and it took a while to settle down,” Cummings said.
“We had to cut some of the dead tissue away and wait for it to regenerate.
“It took a few weeks to get her back but she trialled OK wearing a protective shoe.
“Her work recently has been very good and she goes into Saturday’s race in pretty much the same form that saw her win first-up.
“She was nice and settled this morning and hit the line very well.
“I’d expect they will be going along in the Galaxy so she should settle in behind them and hopefully prove hard to beat in the finish.”
Sister Madly is raced by her breeder Ian Smith of Edinburgh Park Stud.
Smith also bred Silent Witness who won his first 17 starts in Hong Kong including two International Sprints.
He suffered his first defeat when he stepped up to a mile in May 2005 and went down by a short head to Bullish Luck.
Various problems have restricted Sister Madly’s career to 12 starts but the four-year-old showcased her ability with a comprehensive win in the Group Three Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) in February before her latest mishap.
Among her Galaxy opponents will be Ortensia who was stripped of her win in the race last year when she tested positive to a prohibited substance.
The source of the drug used to treat pigs was never determined and trainer Tony Noonan was not penalised apart from losing his first Group One trophy.
AAP TURF
