Blink and you’ll miss the change

TRAINER John Thompson saw the writing on the wall about a month ago that promising filly Loveletter would need blinkers, but has waited until now to apply them on race day.

The three-year-old was a last-start winner at Warwick Farm but it took all of champion jockey Hugh Bowman’s vigour to get the job done.

“When you watch her last two runs, she ranges up to win by a length but she just lobs beside them, and Hughie had to really get busy the other day to make her go past,’’ Thompson said.

“So if she can’t see them she’ll run straight past them. “That’s the theory anyway.’’ Loveletter steps out in the shades for the first time in the #theraces Handicap (1300m) at the Farm today with Bowman again in the saddle.

Thompson said the filly had improved this preparation and based on her work expected her to take some beating despite the class rise.

“She’s coming back 100m and it’s the right time to try them,’’ he said.

“Hugh came out to gallop her the other day in the blinkers and she went enormous. I think she is a nice filly and definitely Saturday grade. How far she goes you never know. She could make stakes grade one day.’’