2008年聖烈治錦標亞軍 Unsung Hero 星期六上陣
Leading trainer David Hayes is looking forward to highly-rated staying mare Unsung Heroine making her Australian debut in the Spring Is The Season Handicap at Flemington, but feels she has the job ahead on Saturday.
"I'd be very, very thrilled and quite surprised (if she won)," Hayes said.
"She's not a sparkling trackworker but her form is just outstanding and quite exciting.
"I'd much rather have a horse with great race form than just fantastic trackwork under their belt.
"But I think from that barrier (15) with that weight (59kg), she's going to have a bit of a task."
By 2002 English Derby winner High Chaparral, the five-year-old has raced only four times but despite that was the highest-rated filly or mare in the world beyond 2400m.
She ran second to the outstanding Conduit in the 2008 Group One English St Leger (2937m) at Doncaster - beating English Oaks winner Look Here into third place - following two wins in Ireland including the Group Three Thanks Stakes (2414m) at Cork.
Brad Rawiller takes the mount on Unsung Heroine in the 1700m event.
Meanwhile, another Hayes-trained imported stayer, Alessandro Volta, has been sidelined for the rest of the spring after suffering a leg injury during the running of the Balaklava Cup on Wednesday.
The five-year-old required surgery for a torn tendon sheath in his near-fore fetlock which occurred during the running of the Listed 1600m race which was first outing for his new stable.
Alessandro Volta finished second last, some 36 lengths behind the winner Alcopop, after being hampered near the 200m when Currency Cugat fell after clipping the heels of the runner-up Steel My Heart.
Formerly trained by Aidan O'Brien, Alessandro Volta led the field in the middle stages of last year's Melbourne Cup (3200m) before dropping out to finishing 20th to Viewed.
The Balaklava Cup was the Montjeu entire's first start since the Melbourne Cup.
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