A wet track will not stop exciting filly Kalabek stepping out in Saturday’s Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes at Caulfield.
Kalabek won a trial impressively at Cranbourne before scoring a dominant win on debut at Caulfield on Easter Monday to convince trainer Brent Stanley to look at a stakes target.
Stanley said he would not commit to starting Kalabek in the Redoute’s Choice Stakes until after the Wanted filly worked on Tuesday.
Rain is forecast for Melbourne on Friday but Stanley said the prospect of wet ground would not influence his decision.
“She had a couple of unofficial trials on bottomless ground before she raced and got through it beautifully,” Stanley said.
“If she goes to Caulfield, she’ll have no trouble on a wet track.”
Stanley said he could take Kalabek to Queensland for the Brisbane winter carnival if he decided to bypass the Redoute’s Choice Stakes.
Stanley has not booked a jockey for Kalabek.
Damien Oliver rode her at Caulfield but will be in action in Adelaide on Saturday.
Stanley had his first Group One runner with Veuvelicious in Saturday’s Champagne Stakes at Randwick.
The filly finished sixth behind Go Indy Go after getting back early in the race but the trainer said she had come through the race well.
Kalabek is one of 17 nominations and one of three unbeaten two-year-olds entered for the $120,000 contest.
The Mick Price-trained Pressing heads the entries after a wide barrier caused the trainer to scratch the Caulfield debut winner from a race at Flemington on Anzac Day.
Price has also entered Manhattan Avenue for the race while Peter Moody has nominated three youngsters for the Redoute’s Choice Stakes.
Moody could run the Flemington debut winner Easy Drama as well as Armada and Smart Magician.
Trainers Peter Morgan and Craig Widdison have also entered the speedy filly Lady Trickster for the event.
