Filly on the rise

High hopes for stakes debut

DEBUT winner Alexandra Dreaming is on target for her first attempt at a stakes race at Moonee Valley but trainer Henry Dwyer is likely to delay Group 1 placed stablemate Snitty Kitty’s return for a few weeks.

Dwyer, who has a satellite stable at St Leonards, plans to start three-year-old filly Alexandra Dreaming in Saturday’s Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1200m) after her debut win at Sandown on August 22.

“I’m really happy with her,” Dwyer said after the filly galloped at the Valley yesterday.

“She was very impressive first-up and she hasn’t missed a beat since. I think she’s going to be a very nice mile (1600m) filly but I think at this stage 1200m is fine.”

Alexandra Dreaming is 21st in the ballot for the Atlantic Jewel, which has a field of 14 plus emergencies.

If she misses a start, Dwyer plans to run her at Sale on Sun- day with a view to progressing to the Thousand Guineas Prelude and Thousand Guineas.

Dwyer has Oakleigh Plate runner-up Snitty Kitty nominated for Saturday’s Group 2 McEwen Stakes but is more likely to wait until the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) rather than take on Nature Strip when the mare is not fully wound up.

Dwyer is happy with the way Snitty Kitty has come back after spelling in Queensland.

“This time she’s a similar fitness level (to previous campaigns) but she will be up there eyeballing Nature Strip and those sorts of horses and I’m not convinced that that’s the best way forward for her, having a really hard run first-up when she’s probably not 100 per cent ready to win,” Dwyer said.

“It may flatten her for the rest of the preparation.”

If she doesn’t run on Saturday, Dwyer plans to give Snitty Kitty a trial at Cranbourne on September 17, 11 days before the Moir Stakes.