Houtzen ready to go again

Flying filly has a much bigger mountain to climb

GOLD Coast trainer Toby Edmonds will not be concerned if his flying three-yearold filly Houtzen has her colours lowered in her return to racing in the McEwen Stakes (1000m) on Saturday at Moonee Valley.

First, Edwards concedes she is facing a high-quality affair and also he has his eyes on the bigger prize, The Everest, next month at Randwick.

Houtzen, who won the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, will use the slot held by Aquis Farm. Yesterday she had her first look at Moonee Valley, the venue for her two runs leading into The Everest.

“She’s in a good space. She wasn’t out to break any records and she got on the right leg and clicked up nicely down the running,” Edmonds said.

“If she wins, she wins. It’s not the be-all and end-all and her main goal is The Everest.

“It will be more important how she goes second up and third up.

“She worked with a stablemate and Regan Bayliss was happy with her.”

He said Craig Williams would ride her on Saturday.

Houtzen won her first four starts, including the Magic Millions Stakes, and her only defeat was her fifth in the Golden Slipper Stakes. She will carry only 50kg. Edmonds said after Saturday, Houtzen would again run at Moonee Valley in the Moir Stakes (1000m) or against her own age in the 1200m Scarborough Stakes on Friday, September 29. RENOWNED Kiwi trainer Murray Baker will have two mares he is aiming at the Caulfield Cup, Bonneval and Lizzie L’Amour, kicking off their spring campaigns in Saturday’s Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley. Yesterday the pair worked together at Moonee Valley with the jockeys who will be riding them on Saturday aboard — Damien Oliver on Lizzie L’Amour and Damian Lane on Bonneval.

Bonneval has won five of her eight starts with her last- start win a 4½-length win in the ATC Oaks, while Lizzie L’Amour won the Bonecrusher Stakes at Ellerslie in March.

Baker said his mares would need the run and regarded Lizzie L’Amour as the better of his pair for this Saturday as she had trialled well in New Zealand.