Events from this week will have a huge bearing on the strength of Brendan and Jo Lindsay's assault on the major juvenile races at the Sydney Autumn carnival.
The prominent owners have already enjoyed a momentous highlight with their filly Probabeel, trained by Jamie Richards, winning Ellerslie's Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) and on Saturday they will be represented in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie with the Lance Noble-trained Bavella.
The
Cambridge Stud principals will also have an eye on Sydney where their debutante
Get Hitched, a $520,000 Karaka purchase, will be thrown in the deep end in the
Gr.2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.
Meanwhile, their filly Still Single, a daughter of More Than Ready prepared by Chris Waller, picked up black type at Randwick last Saturday when finishing strongly into second in the Gr.2 Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) behind Anaheed, who will now go straight into the Gr.1 Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on March 23. All four of the Lindsays' fillies also hold nominations for the Golden Slipper.
"We've got four marbles in the draw that might make the grade, but a lot will depend on what they all do next,'' Brendan Lindsay said.
''Probabeel is more likely to go to the Sires as planned, but things could change depending on what she does in the Magic Night Stakes.
''The same goes for Bavella if she can bounce back in the Sistema Stakes on Saturday. She'd have to win and win really well to take her to Sydney and if she did win well we might consider the Golden Slipper, though there's also the Percy Sykes Stakes (Gr.2, 1200m) that could be a really nice race for her instead of the Slipper.
"Get Hitched is a Lonhro filly with the Hawkes' stable and they really like her. First-up in a Group Two race will tell us whether she is any good.
''As for Still Single, I got an email from Chris on Saturday night and he was happy with the run. He said Hugh (Bowman, jockey) was really complimentary about her. He wanted to get her to settle on Saturday and he said he let the other one get too far in front. He'd ride her differently next time.''
Still Single is likely to clash next with Probabeel in the Gr.3 Magic Night Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on March 16.
"She'll have to win that or run second in that to go for the Golden Slipper,'' Lindsay said. "They say she'll be better over 1400m so she could go for the Sires instead of the Slipper and maybe clash with Probabeel again. But we'll just wait and see what happens. It would be great to have a runner in the Golden Slipper.''
The Gr.1 Inglis Sires' (1400m) is at Randwick on April 6, a fortnight after the Golden Slipper.
Probabeel has been freshened since her $1 million win at Ellerslie and will compete at the Rotorua trials on Tuesday. ''If she does everything right and trials well she'll be on the plane on the 11th (March) to Sydney,'' Lindsay said.
While the Savabeel filly is obviously at the top of the Lindsays' list of two-year-olds, Bavella is also rated highly, despite being beaten for the first time when sixth in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes (1200m) last start.
She had looked smart winning her other two starts, including the Listed Splice Construction 2YO Stakes (1100m) at Pukekohe, and her connections are hoping she can maintain her unbeaten record right-handed this weekend.
"She has been working well and it'll mean a lot to me if she can win on Saturday,'' Lindsay said. "The Sistema Stakes has been her main aim all along.''
Lindsay established and previously owned Sistema Plastics Ltd and not only will he be chasing the major prize in the Sistema Stakes this weekend, he will also be represented in another of the Gr.1 races on the card, the Barfoot and Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m), with the Noble-trained Prince Jabeel.
The five-year-old Savabeel gelding won the Gr.3 City Of Auckland Cup (2400m) at Ellerslie on New Year's Day and finished third in the Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) at Trentham before being unplaced in the Listed Kaimai Stakes (2000m) at Matamata.
"He needed the run at Matamata and he's been at Moira Murdoch's place working on the beach all week,'' Lindsay said. ''It's like we did with him before he won the City Of Auckland Cup.
"Moira is happy with him and it's another roll of the dice with him then he can go out. He was a maiden this time last year so he's done plenty.'' - NZ Racing Desk
