Kiwi filly set to bounce back in Vinery
La Bella Diosa will be out to resurrect her Sydney campaign on Saturday.
Connections of the leading New Zealand filly were on a high after her debut Australian victory in the Surround Stakes at Randwick but they were brought down to earth with a thud by her next performance at Rosehill.
The daughter of So You Think failed to beat a runner home in the Coolmore Classic, after which a scope revealed a small amount of mucus. She was also suffering from mild lower airway inflammation.
“They were pretty minor issues to be fair and she’s good now,” said Matt Brown, whose wife and training partner Mandy is in Sydney with their New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner.
La Bella Diosa will now look to turn her form around in the Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill.
“I spoke to Mandy yesterday and she was pretty happy,” Brown said.
“The filly was allowed to gallop on the course proper at Randwick, but Mandy couldn’t find a mate for her so she went on her own and she got a bit lost.
“Jason Collett came over to ride her and he was more than happy for us to be pressing forward.”
The expatriate New Zealand jockey will be reunited with La Bella Diosa this weekend having guided her to a first-up success in the Surround. A suspension resulted in Jay Ford gaining the Coolmore ride.
Kiwi jockey James Mcdonald has lodged a second appeal against the severity of his 18-month disqualification for betting.
Mcdonald, one of New Zealand’s highest paid sportsmen until the ban, took his case to the Racing Appeal Panel but last week, the panel ruled the 18-month penalty would stand.
His only other option, outside of supreme court action, was the Racing Appeals Tribunal. Mcdonald has started that process.
Mcdonald was banned for 18 months in December 2016 for having an interest in an A$1000 bet on debutante runner Astern.
A decision has yet to be made as to whether Savvy Dreams will race again this season. She is currently taking it easy in the wake of her third placing in the New Zealand Oaks at Trentham in just her fifth race day appearance.
“We’re very happy with her and she’ll be back at the track next week,” said Guy Lowry, who trains the daughter of Savabeel with Grant Cullen.
While it is a longshot, they have considered a trip to Australia for Savvy Dreams.
“It’s a wild thought but we may look at Adelaide,” Lowry said. “There’s the Auraria Stakes, the Australasian Oaks and the SA Oaks. She is only a lightly-framed filly and if she shows any signs of tiredness when we get her back next week then she will go out for a good spell.”