Vezalay will line-up in Saturday's Doveton Stakes
Fresh from their Group One win with Awesome Rock, co-trainers Leon and Troy Corstens will be after more stakes success when Vezalay runs at Sandown.
Vezalay is being aimed towards the $1 million Magic Millions Sprint (1200m) at the Gold Coast in January but first the sprinting mare will try for her second Listed win in the Doveton Stakes (1000m) on Saturday.
Vezalay won the Alinghi Stakes last year and was third in the corresponding race this spring before finishing 15th in the Group Three Sensis Stakes (1100m) at Flemington last Saturday week.
Vezalay was taken to Sandown on Tuesday morning for a gallop and Troy Corstens said he was happy to overlook her last start.
“She worked over 800 metres this morning in 49-1/2 (seconds) and came home her last 600 in 35-1/4 She worked really nicely,” Corstens said.
“Her first-up run was fantastic and we were ecstatic.
“Then on Derby Day she just didn’t handle the straight at all. So we’ll forget about that and concentrate on moving forward.
“I think she’ll run really well. I probably would have preferred it to be 1100 or 1200 but that’s OK. We’ve kept her nice and fresh so she should run a big race.”
Corstens said the Magic Millions race day in January had been a target for the mare.
“Probably the Magic Millions Sprint is the race we’ll head for,” he said.
“(Managing owner) Brad Spicer sat down after her last preparation and said he’d really like to have a crack at the Magic Millions.
“So we said we would give her a bit longer break over winter and bring her back a little later in the spring and we can have her cherry ripe for the Gold Coast.”
Corstens said Awesome Rock had come through his win in Saturday’s Group One $2 million Emirates Stakes well.
“He goes to the paddock now and he’ll be back on Monday the 28th of November and he’ll run first-up in the C F Orr Stakes (on February 11),” Corstens said.
