Talented Matthew Dale filly Pretty Woman has hit the road to Melbourne ahead of her highly anticipated resuming run at Flemington on Saturday.
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The one-time Black Opal Stakes favourite will contest the Listed Cap D'Antibes Stakes (1100m) ahead of what the Canberra trainer hopes will be a productive spring in Victoria.
Pretty Woman impressively won her first two starts, and was nominated for the Black Opal but contested the Group 2 Riesling Stakes (1200m) at Randwick instead on that weekend, beaten four lengths in a luckless showing before being put in the paddock.
"It's quite a strong race and will certainly tell us where we sit for the [spring] preparation," Dale said.
"She's matured nicely and we were able to give her a nice break. She'll come back [to Canberra] but the majority of the race options for her are in Melbourne.
"We'll get through Saturday first but it does look like the majority of her options are down there."
Dale is preparing for another busy spring with two potential Kosciuszko contenders in Molly Nails, and veteran Man Of Peace.
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The pair were in action at Randwick last weekend, with Man Of Peace finishing 7.3L off Cox Plate bound superstar Zaaki.
He'll likely head to Bathurst now for the $80,000 Panorama (1300m) on September 26, or the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) next weekend at Randwick.
"It's going to take him a couple of runs to get back to rock solid fitness and he's had to play with the Group 2, Group 1 horses," Dale said.
"It's just a matter of getting him back down in grade a little bit and back into the fight.
"He would be eligible [for the Kosciuszko] and be freshened up, he'd be a solid competitive chance."
Molly Nails finished third in a bunched finish in a Randwick Highway Handicap last Saturday.
"That was a good solid performance, and she's pulled up well," Dale said.
"To put her name up for the Kosciuszko I would've liked to have thought that she'd win that."