Veuve could bubble fresh at Caulfield

Brad Waters - Thursday August 31

Legless Veuve caught punters unaware when resuming last time in but trainer Stuart Webb admits he has also underestimated the talented mare in the past.

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Legless Veuve will take a good first-up record into Saturday's The Heath 1100. Photo: Darryl Sherer

Webb is likely to start Legless Veuve's spring campaign in the Group III The Heath (1100m) in which the four-year-old is a $15 chance in Sportsbet's latest market.

Legless Veuve has scored at her last two first-up runs with her fresh record including a win over Hey Doc at $18 in the Group III Manfred Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield in February.

The Caulfield-based Webb said the mare's appearance always gave him the impression she was a run short of full fitness but she had proven him wrong on a few occasions, including in a pleasing jumpout at Caulfield last Tuesday.

"She's one that I do underestimate. I just think, 'you're such a big gross thing and you're a run away'," Webb said.

"I thought she'd need that jumpout more than she did. I thought she'd take her rider to the 600m but she took him all the way to the finish."

Webb said a good barrier was the key to him running Legless Veuve at Caulfield on Saturday after he also entered last year's Group II Thousand Guineas Prelude winner in a trial at Cranbourne on Monday.

Legless Veuve has raced handy to the speed in her three wins but Webb would ask Saturday's jockey Luke Currie to ride the daughter of Pins further back in The Heath (1100m). Webb has removed the blinkers from Legless Veuve's gear.

"We're going to try and start riding her a little bit colder and see where we end up," Webb said.

"She needs a good barrier. I know it's 1100m here (at Caulfield) and it's not the end of the world but a good barrier allows her to just fall out of the gates and get some cover and come to the corner and have one good run at them."

The barrier computer did its job for Legless Veuve, giving her barrier four for her $150,000 assignment.

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