The Percy Sykes Stakes is among the options for Trapeze Artist youngster Pleasure Queen after she made a perfect start to her career with a winning debut on Randwick’s Kensington track.
Co-trainer Sterling Alexiou said he had marvelled at the filly’s improvement over the past few months after she showed little in the initial stages of her education.
“She was going nowhere three months ago and she is really starting to impress us,” Alexiou said.
“She has just been steadily improving all preparation. She has come a really long way in the last six or seven weeks.
“She is still pretty raw but she’s got a bit of a motor there.”
Supported to start a $3.30 equal favourite, Pleasure Queen finished best to overpower Scrumptious ($4) by a length in Wednesday’s 1000m race with Hellabella ($9) another long neck away third.
Alexiou said they would consider next month’s Group 2 Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) for the winner, or possibly the Clarendon Stakes (1300m) at Hawkesbury at the end of the autumn carnival.
“She is going to be a lot better next time around but she is handling everything with aplomb and heading the right way,” he said.
“She’s won one now, she is probably going to have to go to something like a Percy Sykes, or whether we back off her and go for something like Hawkesbury, the1300 metres there.”
The Ciaron Maher-trained Stormland ($8) took out the Ranvet Handicap (1000m) for the juvenile colts and geldings and is also in line to play a part during the carnival.
Maher is keen to let the dust settle before determining his next move with the youngster, who he says has always shown talent but has taken time to come to hand.
“He has always been quite natural and we’ve just had to wait a little bit for him,” Maher said.
“He does have some options now he went there and won and looked to have a little bit in hand. We’ll see how he comes through.”
Maher was also rapt with the effort of stablemate Navy Pilot, who started a $4 favourite with betting sites and was doing his best work late for fifth after getting back from a wide draw.
“He’s hit the line as good as any horse in the race. Both horses have got bright futures,” Maher said.
