Filly can defy her bad draw

A wide draw for promising filly Aye Aye Captain doesn’t faze her Hall Of Fame trainer Les Bridge.

The two-year-old was gallant on debut at Gosford on March 16 when she jumped well from barrier 9 in the field of 10 and raced one off the fence shading Supreme Statement.

She fought strongly to the line to go down by a head when fourth behind Empress Of Japan over 1100m.

Aye Aye Captain has again drawn near the outside, this time in barrier 10 of 11 in the Schweppes Handicap over 1250m with apprentice Amy McLucas to again ride.

“She ran very well first-up and I expect her to run well again this week,” Bridge said.

“The draw makes it a little bit harder but she has the two-kilo allowance.

“She will go forward and probably sit outside the leader but she will be all right.”

Aye Aye Captain is a daughter of Merchant Navy from a half-sister to Group 1 Flight Stakes winner Speak Fondly and from the family of champion filly Bounding Away.

“I think she is one of those horses that will be better as a three-year-old the way she is bred,” Bridge said.

“I’m a little bit surprised that she is showing as much as she is at the moment but she is a really nice filly. She deserves to be one and I really think she will run well again.”

Bridge’s second runner is Smart Legend in the Cylinder At Darley Benchmark 72 Handicap (1900m).

The four-year-old has placed third in four of his five starts this campaign, including his last two runs behind Firestorm over 1400m and behind Zondee in a Benchmark 78 over 1550m, both on the Kensington.

“He just can’t break through for a win. He keeps running a place all the time,” Bridge said.

“He has been a bit disappointing. I thought he was better than he is.”