Aloisia ready for a forward showing
TIMEFORM assesses Aloisia’s performances to be much higher than any of her rivals and the handicapper says she should be giving away at least 9kg to every other runner, so why is the filly a $7 shot in the Queensland Oaks tomorrow?
The answer, according to the filly’s Melbourne-based trainer Ciaron Maher, is simply that she’s had a terribly “frustrating” autumn preparation.
Maher said the plan was for jockey Mark Zahra to ride her forward last start in the Schweppes Oaks (2000m) in Adelaide on May 5, when she finished a close-up sixth.
“We were forward, then Mark was three wide, he opted to drop into two wide and then it was like a funeral procession with others going past her,” Maher said.
“We ended up last and then she squirts home with the best sectionals.
“We’re definitely going forward on Saturday, especially where she’s at in her prep and she’s always run her best races from somewhere up the front.”
Maher saw enough in her work on Tuesday morning to suggest the only Group 1 winner in the field has settled in nicely to life in Queensland and was ready to put her bad luck behind her in the 2200m feature race tomorrow.
“She worked with (Grand Prix Stakes runner) Mahamedeis and they went over the line together,” he said.
“I thought her recovery was good. She’s obviously very fit. We’re just ticking her over to the race.”
Maher attributed Aloisia’s brilliant spring performances where she won the Group 1 Thousand Guineas and then belted the boys in the Moonee Valley Vase to being able to “sit in the pocket” in both of those races.
“Both were with ideal runs sitting behind the leader from good draws,” he said.
“This time it’s been frustrating. She was good in the Vinery then got too far back in the (ATC) Oaks, before what happened at Morphettville.
“She’s a quality horse and her starting prices in good races reflects that.
“Hopefully that quality can hold her in good stead.”
The Chris Waller-trained Youngstar ($2.80) and Another Dollar ($5) are ahead of Aloisia in Ladbrokes’ market.
SHE’S A QUALITY HORSE … HOPEFULLY THAT QUALITY CAN HOLD HER IN GOOD STEAD CIARON MAHER