Fashion Icon has made a stylish start to her career and she looks to have another gilt-edged opportunity on Saturday to again star on the Trentham stage.
The Peter Didham-trained daughter of U S Navy Flag was a last-start winner over 1200m on the course and will progress in distance when she tackles the Gee & Hickton Funeral Directors’ Premier (1400m).
The filly was to have stepped out in black type company last weekend, but a minor issue prevented her running in the Listed O’Leary’s Fillies’ Stakes (1340m).
“I’ve been really happy with her work after she missed Wanganui with a tooth problem, but she’s good to go again,” Didham said.
“It’s all worked out fine and we’ve got Michael McNab on her, she’s got a good draw and the track should suit so she ticks all the boxes.”
Fashion Icon has yet to race beyond 1200m and her performance on Saturday will dictate her future path.
“She’s a nice type of U S Navy Flag and we’re just going to see how she does at 1400m and where we go from there,” Didham said.
“Some of the U S Navy Flag’s have got up to a mile so we’ll just see how our girl does.
“Last time out she beat the older horses, which is really hard to do, and she wasn’t stopping at the end so don’t I think it will be a problem.”
Fashion Icon didn’t have the best of runs when she was a debut fifth on the all-weather track at Awapuni before posting consecutive wins at Woodville and at Trentham last month.
Didham will have two other strong chances on Saturday with Manifique in the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers’ Championship Qualifier (2200m) and Havarti in the TAB Super Saturday Bonus Back Premier (1000m).
By Savabeel out of the multiple Group One winner Shez Sinsational, Manifique was an easy last-start winner at New Plymouth and will also be partnered by McNab.
“She’s flying and that win was outstanding, she got checked and held up and still burst away,” Didham said.
“We’re just trying to get into some of the cup races on the minimum, so she needs to get a few more points on Saturday.
“If she went really well, and we think she will, we’ll probably look at the Manawatu Cup (Gr.3, 2300m).”
Swiss Ace’s son Havarti, who will be ridden by Johnathan Parkes, was a winner at Woodville two runs back before he finished a last-start third at Wanganui.
“If he had run straight he would have won, he doesn’t usually bore in but he took a trail and then came off the rail and ducked in a couple of times and that cost him the race,” Didham said.
“Sinbin looks maybe a shade above them, but my bloke tries hard and he’s drawn well. There looks to be a lot of speed in the race, so he’ll get every opportunity.”
