The Mark Walker stable did not expect the transformation Sans Doute (Not A Single Doubt) made during her initial campaign in Melbourne.
Sans Doute raced her way from a handicap rating of 72 when she landed at Walker’s Cranbourne stable and six months later, after eight starts, Sans Doute had increased that to 98.
That was a bit of a surprise for Walker’s assistant Ben Gleeson who runs the Cranbourne stable, especially after Sans Doute ran poorly at Seymour in her second Australian outing.
Not long after though, Sans Doute went on a four-run winning spree, culminating in the Listed Bob Hoysted Handicap (1000m) before a narrow defeat in the Gr.3 John Hawkes Stakes (1100m) in Adelaide to wind up her campaign.
Sans Doute is ready for a return to racing and does so in the Listed Norman Carlyon Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
The Norman Carlyon has brought together a field of nine after 12 were entered for the race.
Gleeson took advantage of taking Sans Doute to Moonee Valley for a reacquaintance gallop at the track having finished second and third there in two previous outings.
“Michael Dee (who rides on Saturday) said she was pretty ‘looky’, but I thought she travelled up nicely and changed her leg around the bend and finished off her work nicely,” Gleeson said.
“She had a good blow and will have a lot of improvement to come, but she needed the trip away. She only had the one jump-out and she needed the stimulation of being away from home.”
Despite the small number of opponents on Saturday, Gleeson feels Sans Doute will need the run.
“If you look at her previous preps, she’s improved pretty drastically after two or three runs and that’s the way we’re viewing this preparation as well,” Gleeson said.
“I wouldn’t say there is a goal for her, it’s just a matter of where she stacks up.
“Ideally, we’d like to get her back down the straight when that opportunity presents, but that will be after we get a gauge on where she finishes on Saturday and where she goes to next.
“What we want to try to do is build that Black Type for her and if she can build that rating up into the 100’s, she could earn a spot in a Group 1 field, but we’ve got to get the runs on the board before she proves she’s up to that.”
