From ten starts in black-type races, Tricky Gal has notched six minor placings, so her trainer Matthew Smith is going to the well again hoping for a change of luck.
The mare will take her place in the Listed Winter Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday when she will meet last-start Civic Stakes conqueror Bandersnatch two kilos better at the weights.
“It’s always frustrating when you’re getting beaten. She has just struck horses on the day that were at their peak and she has run very well,” Smith said.
“It would be nice to knock the race over on Saturday but it’s a tougher race than what she ran in last start.
“She has been very consistent the last couple of preps, she has been right there, and she is due to win one.”
Tricky Gal finished runner-up in three of her five starts during the Sydney autumn carnival, all in Group races.
But rather than send her for a long spell, Smith opted for a brief stint in the paddock, a ploy he likes to utilise with mares, particularly those with bigger frames.
“She had a couple of weeks out in the paddock and came back into work, then we just gradually built her up again,” he said.
“It suits these mares because otherwise they can get big and fat and then they’re hard to get fit, especially a big mare like her.
“She’s over 16 hands and 520 kilos, you can’t afford them to put on 10 or 20 kilos because then you’ve got to get it off them.”
The Winter Stakes has attracted a handy field led by Victorian raider Rubisaki, who is unbeaten in her only two Sydney starts, both on wet tracks.
Godolphin import Ziegfeld, a Listed winner in France who finished fifth at his first Australian start earlier this year, is set to resume in the sprint, while Chris Waller will saddle up Order Again, Sambro and True Detective as he looks to win the race for a third time.
Smith believes Tricky Gal ticks a lot of boxes but admits it is a tough assignment for this time of year.
“She loves wet tracks and she’s in good form. She’s in the right place at the right time,” Smith said.
“But for a winter stakes races, there’s a fair bit of depth in it.”
