Twilight Royale will be back at the scene of her lucrative debut win on Saturday to try to cement a trip to Victoria for another big pay day.
Twilight Royale played her part in a quinella for trainer Bjorn Baker in the Inglis Nursery on December 22, holding off stablemate Fuerza to take out the $250,000 sales restricted event.
Baker gave the two-year-old a few days in the paddock after that victory before setting his sights on Saturday’s TAB Number One Club Plate at Warwick Farm.
It is over the same 1000m course as her debut win.
Baker says the filly appears to be working better than she was going into the Inglis Nursery.
“Brenton Avdulla knows her well and she’s a horse that will put herself there probably just behind the speed,” Baker said.
“She’s definitely a progressive filly and I think she won with a little bit more up her sleeve than what it first appeared (in the Inglis Nursery).”
The Warwick Farm race will also feature some two-year-olds being readied for the $250,000 Inglis Classic in two weeks and also a couple of youngsters eligible for the Magic Millions Classic next week should they win.
But the Tim Martin-trained Let’s Frolic has been ruled out of Saturday’s race and the Magic Millions with an injury to her near-side front knee.
“She has a problem with her knee. We’ve had it X-rayed and the X-rays came back clear so it’s nothing serious but she’s out of Saturday and out of the Magic Millions,” Martin said.
Let’s Frolic was 25th in order of entry for the Magic Millions and $41 in betting after placing in her two starts in Sydney.
Twilight Royale is a graduate of the Melbourne Premier Sale and is eligible for the $250,000 Inglis Premier (1200m) at Mornington on February 13.
“The Mornington race is definitely on the radar but I’ll see how she goes on Saturday first before making any plans,” Baker said.
Baker’s most recent interstate trip didn’t pan out how he had hoped when Cantonese finished 11th in the Perth Cup on Tuesday.
Cantonese will return home for a good spell before a possible Queensland winter campaign aimed at the Brisbane Cup.
Fuerza, meanwhile, will trial at Rosehill next week ahead of the Inglis Classic at the same track.
Baker has Fuming in the Australian Turf Club Plate (1400m) at Warwick Farm while Geemeup is a chance to back-up in the Bowermans Office Furniture Handicap (1200m) after running fifth at Newcastle on Wednesday.
