The last time Leica Lucy tackled a three-year-old fillies mile at Trentham, her rivals were no match, and she is looking to replicate that performance on Saturday when she contests the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m).
A filly by Derryn, Leica Lucy was a debut winner and then only narrowly beaten by Wingman at her following start, but once she stepped up to 1600m, she put over two lengths on the field in the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m).
Like the course and distance, her jockey Craig Grylls will remain the same, and her trainer Robbie Patterson couldn’t be happier with his charge heading into Saturday’s feature contest.
“She had a quiet week after the Eulogy and has just been ticking over, she’s pretty straightforward,” Patterson said. “She’s had some good gallops lately and I’m very happy with her.
“She’s probably done fractionally well since her race, she’s put on some weight and is going into it a very happy horse.”
Leica Lucy is currently the odds-on favourite at $1.85 with BlondeBet, and while Patterson is hopeful she can get the job done, he has plenty more in store for the filly, including the $1 million Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) and potential trip across the Tasman.
“Going off her last run, I think she’s improved, so I’d hope that she’s winning on Saturday,” he said.
“From there, it gets a bit tricky, either I’ve got to start two weeks later in the Oaks Prelude (Listed, 1800m), and then a month to the Lowland (Group 2, 2100m), and three weeks to the Oaks.
“But I don’t want to overtax her, she could end up in Aussie in the autumn as well. We’ll just get through Saturday and go from there.”
Horse racing news
