Star filly She Will Reign has had the ideal start to her autumn carnival campaign cruising into second place in her first public trial at Warwick Farm on Monday.
That’s the opinion of her jockey Ben Melham who said he couldn’t have scripted a better scenario for the 800-metre gallop on the course proper.
Super Too won the trial in 46.40 and held just over a length over the reigning Golden Slipper winner.
“It was an easy trial for a first trial but I was really happy with the way she pulled up, she pulled up like an athlete and recovered fast,’’ Melham said of She Will Reign who is part-owned by Tamworth’s Andrew and Bianca Pieper.
“For a solidly run trial I was expecting her to have a bit more of a blow. She’s quite forward but obviously has improvement in her and I couldn’t have asked for her to trial any better. I didn’t want to be getting into a battle with what is a very quick horse but it was good to give her a bunny and a nice clean out without over taxing her.’’
She Will Reign hasn’t raced since finishing second last in the inaugural running of The Everest back in October.
Prior to that, the filly won the Group 1 Moir Stakes in Melbourne, beating Viddora.
Since that race, Viddora has won the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes in Perth and last Saturday’s Magic Millions Snippets on the Gold Coast.
Melham hadn’t been on board the three-year-old since her first trial back in late August and is suitably impressed with the way she’s developed.
“She’s matured and strengthened up, she’s not a little girl any more,’’ he said.
“I saw her in her box a month ago and she looked fantastic. She’s a bit of a funny horse, fresh in her trial she normally jumps and wants to run a bit. But with that bunny there I could sit against her.
“It’s great for her to trial this well early in her campaign when she’s not ready. She’s a very competitive horse and improves with every bit of work she does.’’
Trainer Gary Portelli has selected the $250,000 Inglis Sprint (1100m) at Warwick Farm on February 10 for She Well Reign’s return.
She’ll have a second, more serious, trial at Randwick on January 29.
Her major opponent in the Inglis Sprint is likely to be the boom Victorian gelding Nature Strip who made it three from four running 55.48 to win at Sandown over 1000m last Wednesday.
“Nature Strip is obviously going there and he looks promising back in Melbourne,’’ Melham said.
“He’s got to come up to her level but he was very impressive the other day in good time. I also know how good this filly is so it’ll be a good race.’’
