Filly Sequista has often been her own worst enemy, but trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou are convinced she has the quality to win at black-type level.
Already stakes placed in the 2024 Inglis Nursery (1000m) and finishing on the heels of the placegetters in Tempted’s Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m), the three-year-old will be given another shot at adding to her CV in the Listed Denise’s Joy Stakes (1100m) at Scone on Saturday.
“She has (been unlucky) but in saying that a lot of it has been self-inflicted,” Alexiou said.
“She can get a high head carriage, and she likes a nice, flowing gallop, so a position three-wide will be a good thing for her if she can get in a nice spot and the track is playing that way.”
In that vein, Alexiou isn’t overly perturbed by the filly’s draw in barrier 18, although she will come into 15 if the remaining emergencies don’t gain a start.
He said the gate won’t discourage them from kicking her off at Scone which has been marked on their calendar for some time.
“At this stage she will take her place. We’ve had the intent all preparation to run here first-up,” Alexiou said.
“She had a very solid trial the other day to make sure she was up to the mark, and there is only the one turn at Scone so hopefully the bad barrier isn’t the be-all, end-all.
“If things go the right way, she can run really well in a race like this.”
Tyler Schiller has the ride on Sequista, who was a $12 on Friday.
Regardless of whether the filly gets the result this weekend, Alexiou is optimistic she can have a fruitful campaign, either working her way through the grades in Sydney or chasing more black-type in Queensland.
“The prizemoney in Sydney is still very good and she is still way down in the benchmarks, she is only a 73 rater,” Alexiou said.
“But that’s our ambition, to get black-type with her, and we believe on her day she’s got that type of ability.
“It’s a good place to kick her off at Scone, and I’m sure she’s in for a good preparation whatever eventuates on Saturday.”
