Tommy Stokes hopes Femminile can become the fifth filly in the past two decades to win the Group 1 SA Derby when she backs up in the staying classic at Morphettville on Saturday.
The daughter of Dundeel stayed on well when seventh, three lengths off Benegil, in the G1 Australasian Oaks over 2000m and Stokes reported that she has recovered well enough to run again seven days later.
The assistant trainer said a good draw (barrier four) and the step to 2500m are in the filly’s favour.
Femminile won the Listed Oaklands Plate (1400m) as a two-year-old and was placed in the G3 Ethereal Stakes (2000m) in the spring en route to an unplaced run in the VRC Oaks (2500m).
“She’ll back up,” Stokes said.
“She’s come through that (Oaks) run in super order and she’s been eating up really well.
“I think she’ll relish the extra 500m and any bit of rain will enhance her chances as well.
“Lachy Neindorf will take the ride as Tommy Stockdale can’t make the weight.”
Femminile finished 7th in G1 Australasian Oaks at Morphettville last start.
Coco Sun (2024), Qafila (2019), Delicacy (2015) and Zarita (2008) are fillies with their names on the SA Derby honour roll.
The stable had considered running another filly, last-start Oaks runner Pelevecchio, in the Derby, but Stokes has instead opted to wait for the G3 SA Fillies Classic over the same track and distance a week later.
“We did aim to get a run in the Derby but she was going to be fourth emergency, so we pulled her out and she’ll go to the Fillies Classic over the 2500m the following week,” he said.
The stable will likely have a two-pronged attack in the final G1 of the Adelaide Autumn Carnival with both Climbing Star and Stretan Angel set to tackle the $1 million Goodwood sprint on Saturday week.
Both mares ran unplaced in last Saturday’s G1 Robert Sangster Stakes.
“There’s nothing really to report with Climbing Star, we’ve done all the necessary checks and she’s come through the run unscathed,” he said.
“She got bumped around from the start of the race and into the middle stages and she can be a bit temperamental, so I think she spat the dummy out and that was enough for her.
“We’ve got a lot of faith in the mare, so we think she’ll bounce back and we’ll see her in the Goodwood.
“Stretan Angel was a super run.
“She had an interrupted run throughout and got onto the inside part of the track, which was inferior on the day.
“We’ll have two good chances in the Goodwood.”
The article above is from James Tzaferis and Terry McAuliffe from Racing.com and can be read here.