Adelaide next up for hot Houtzen
FLYING Coast filly Houtzen will chase Group 1 glory in the $1m UBET Classic at Morphettville during the Adelaide Festival of Racing.
Gold Coast trainer Toby Edmonds said the 1200m fillies and mares feature, registered as the Robert Sangster Stakes and run on May 5 under weight-for-age conditions, appeared an ideal target for Houtzen as connections try to boost her breeding value with success at the elite level. “It looks a nice race for a filly like her,” Edmonds said.
“It’s a Group 1 for fillies and mares and we’re trying to enhance her pedigree. That’s our main motivation.”
Houtzen has won five of nine starts, including the $2m Magic Millions Classic on the Gold Coast just over a year ago that helped her prizemoney push beyond $1.7m.
The high-speed threeyear-old hasn’t raced since finishing midfield behind boom colt Merchant Navy in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington during the Melbourne Spring Carnival.
That run followed a seventh, beaten 3¼ lengths, in the inaugural $10m The Everest (1200m) won by Redzel at Randwick on October 14.
“She takes good experience out of the Everest. I think that whole preparation was good for her. She’s a mature filly now,” Edmonds said.
“She had eight weeks in the paddock and she’s back in work now. “We haven’t decided on a kick-off race yet but it’ll be early to mid March in Sydney.
“She’ll probably have a few runs there before she heads to Adelaide.
“We haven’t set anything in stone yet but the bulk of her racing will be in Sydney.”
Edmonds, who has never had a runner in Adelaide, said Houtzen appeared to have thrived during the break.
“She spelled on our farm and my wife looked after her and built her up,” he said.
“She’s really, really strong now. She’s developed a lot from what she was as a twoyear-old and early threeyear-old.”
The trainer said there was some chance Houtzen could stay in Adelaide for the Group 1 $1m Darley Goodwood (1200m) on May 19.
“The Sangster will most likely be her grand final but if she happens to come back and is dominant then we’ll certainly look at the Goodwood,” he said.
“At this stage we’ll probably stick to fillies and mares.”