Teranga and Canadian Dancer will lead a two-pronged attack for Steve O’Dea & Matt Hoysted in Saturday’s Listed Princess Stakes (1640m) at Doomben.
The two three-year-old fillies are both coming off last-start victories, with online bookmakers installing Canadian Dancer ($4) as the second favourite behind Mokulua ($3.50), while Teranga ($7.50) is on the third line of betting.
Canadian Dancer, a filly by Vancouver, was a brilliant winner of a 1350m Benchmark 65 at Ipswich on April 6, while Teranga proved too good in her assignment over 1615m at Doomben three days later in a 3YO Handicap.
Co-trainer Hoysted told HorseBetting that both gallopers have come through those runs in great order and that they are ready to go on Saturday.
“They both came through their last start in really good order and we’re happy with both,” he said.
“Teranga obviously stays at the mile – she was really good through the line, she bounced through good, but she’ll probably only continue to improve once she gets out over even further. She’s drawn a nice soft alley to get a good run in the race.”
Teranga, a filly by Sebring out of a Queensland Oaks-winning mare in Tinto, will once again be ridden by Jaden Lloyd, while Ben Thompson hops back aboard Canadian Dancer after missing her last run due to a suspension.
With the Oaks the ultimate goal for Teranga, Hoysted admits that the 1640m could leave the filly left wanting late, but he says that they haven’t had to do too much with her in the two weeks since her last win in a bid to keep some “dash” in her legs against this tougher opposition.
As for Canadian Dancer, Saturday’s Princess Stakes has been her main target all along, which is why they put her in the paddock after her third-place effort at the Sunshine Coast on January 29.
“This has obviously been her target race – well for both fillies really – but definitely why we put her away after she ran third in that metro race over a mile at the Sunny Coast,” Hoysted said.
“I think it was a bit of a false impression from a wide gate. She had to do a little bit of work to go forward and they really went along in that race and in turn she got left in front a long way from home. I think it was more her greenness that cost her – she just didn’t know how to put them away.
“She did really well in that freshen we’ve given her and she obviously showed she’s got an explosive turn of foot when able to be held up in the run like she was (at Ipswich).
“From again a nice alley, she should be able to lob just in behind the speed there and if she can let rip at the end of the mile like she did over 1350m last start, then you’d think she’s got to be right in the finish.”
The stable will also be represented by Stellar Magic later on in the day, when she resumes in a high-quality Mick Dittman Plate (1110m) at Listed level.
This time last year, the filly was narrowly defeated at Eagle Farm in the Listed Dalrello Stakes (1000m) as a two-year-old, which has given the stable enough confidence to believe she can be in the finish somewhere.
“She’s only had the one trial where she’s obviously been fantastic in that trial,” the trainer said.
“I think we’ve got her as forward as we need her to first-up. It’s a tough one – obviously this race has come up extremely strong, and that’s probably the only little question.
“I have no doubt she’s come back if anything better again and is going really well, it’s just where she really measures up against some of these better three-year-olds.”
Stellar Magic is currently around $26 with most betting sites.
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