The Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra trained Sword Of Mercy has emerged as a live chance in next months Group One Oakleigh Plate after an impressive win at Caulfield on Saturday.
Sword Of Mercy took twelve starts to break her maiden but has since won five of her last eight starts including two impressive metropolitan wins which has prompted her trainers to look at the Group One Oakeligh Plate next month as a target race.
“I thought it was a pretty good win,” Simon Zahra told RSN on Sunday morning.
“She was a little bit further back than we thought she might be and I love the way she just pinned the ears back and ran through the line.
“Six months ago, she probably would have been beaten – she was doing a bit wrong and not really knowing how to hit the line.
“She went into Flemington (first-up) a little bit underdone and we were a little bit worried, but (her win) just shows you her class.
“She might be our best sprinter come the next couple of months.”
Sword Of Mercy will now head to the Listed Kensington Stakes in a fortnights time and if she can measure up the plan will be to get her into the G1 Oakleigh Plate as a light weight hope.
“We’ll probably go to Flemington in a couple of weeks to the Kensington Stakes,” he said.
“I think she’s an ideal Oakleigh Plate horse.
“If we can get her rating up and win next start then she’s just knocking on the door of the Oakleigh Plate.
“She goes well at Caulfield, she’d get in well at the weights, they generally go pretty quick and if she can hit the line like she did yesterday then it looks a nice target for her.”
