Yeah, Baby! Corsten confident flying filly can fire at Valley
GEELONG and Flemington trainer Troy Corstens will treat Saturday’s 1200m Crockett Stakes as a grand final for New York Baby but says a race during the Melbourne Cup carnival could still be on the cards.
The three-year-old filly has been in the mix in each of her three runs, winning two and finishing second in another, and will start as favourite when she jumps at Moonee Valley.
A victory on Cox Plate day will carry even more incentive for New York Baby given her Super VOBIS status entitles her ownership group, which includes leading Geelong real estate agent Ben Riddle, to a bonus $10,000 in prizemoney.
Corstens admitted he was delighted with where the
daughter of Written Tycoon was at in terms of her lead-in to the race and said he was confident she would again run well on Saturday.
“She is coming along really well at the moment and I am really pleased with here,” Corstens said.
“I would be disappointed if she didn’t run a really good race.
“If it (her grand final) is not this, then there is another race over the carnival for fillies on Oaks Day.
“She has just got to run really well and come through it well, but to get black type with these fillies is why you are in the game and it pumps her value right up and justifies how good we think she is.”
New York Baby will again be ridden by leading jockey
Damien Oliver, who has piloted her in each of her three career starts.
The pair has established a solid bond since joining forces, which Corstens said was unsurprising given Oliver’s record over many years in the saddle.
“He is probably one of the best riders of all time so he probably gets on well with the majority of horses,” he said. “But she is going good for him.”
New York Baby will jump from barrier five and carry 57kg, with Robodira looming as a potential challenger to her status as pre-race favourite.