Ladies In Red Photo by Stuart McCormick
CHAMPION mare Ladies In Red is "flying" and will add more flair to Victoria Cup night when she resumes in the Make Mine Cullen for mares on the undercard.
The five-year-old had her second trial back from injury when she beat superstar stablemates Amore Vita and Encipher at Ballarat last night.
"You forget how good she is when she's been off the scene for a while," trainer Emma Stewart said. "She was super last night."
"As good as Amore Vita and Encipher are, there's no comparison with Ladies In Red at her best."
"She's ready to go now. It'll be great to have her back at the races."
Ladies In Red hasn't raced since winning the Breeders Crown 4YO Mares' final at Melton on November 19, last year.
She subsequently sustained a stress fracture of a hind pastern and had two screws inserted.
Stewart and co-trainer Clayton Tonkin are weighing up options with TAB Eureka winner Encipher and last-start Group 1 Vicbred winner Amore Vita.
"There's a chance both will go to the Victoria Cup," she said.
Despite Hunter Cup hero Honolua Bay winning his Ballarat trial last night, the Victoria Cup remains uncertain.
"He's going well, but he's had issues with a quarter crack, and it's touch and go whether we aim at the Cup or take it easier with the Inter Dominion in mind," Stewart said.
Meanwhile, trainer Ahmed Taiba described Captain Ravishing's Bendigo trial last night as "superb" and leaning towards going straight to Saturday week's Victoria Cup at Melton.
The headline-grabbing pacer ran his last mile in 1min54.5sec, but scorched the closing splits in 53.8 and 26.1sec.
"Superb. Exactly what we were looking for," Taiba said. "The horse is so much better now than he was going into the Eureka."
"History says the Smoken Up isn't an ideal lead-up race to the Victoria Cup, but we are keeping our options open."
Nathan Jack took the reins last night and may also have the job in the Victoria Cup if Greg Sugars sticks with his own stables last-start Kilmore Cup winner, Better Eclipse.
"That's the first time I've driven him," Jack said. "He's exceptionally fast, but quite casual. He led and was gawking around a fair bit, but picked up when I asked him to go."
"He ran home in 53.8 and 26.1, so you can't ask for much more than that. He was in an open bridle with the plugs still in, too."
Captain Ravishing was first-up for six months with his terrific third in the TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 2.
The four-year-old hasn't raced since, but that doesn't faze Taiba.
