Trainer Dan O’Sullivan hopes Affair To Remember can end what has so far been a frustrating spring campaign with victory in the Group Two Sandown Guineas.
O’Sullivan had hoped to target the VRC Oaks (2500m) with Affair To Remember but aborted those plans after the filly failed to make the field for the Edward Manifold Stakes and then had to be scratched from the Thousand Guineas because of a setback.
Instead O’Sullivan re-adjusted his sights and looked to a 1700m benchmark race for fillies and mares at Flemington last Thursday, with Saturday’s Sandown Guineas (1600m) for three-year-olds also on the radar.
Affair To Remember charged home from back in the field for third in the Flemington race won by Nudge.
That result came after her seventh in the Listed Jim Moloney Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield two starts ago when she struck traffic in the final 50m and went to the line without being fully tested.
O’Sullivan said Affair To Remember had come through her Flemington run well.
“Hopefully we can get a clear run at them this time and we can come away with no excuses and either we’re good enough or we’re not,” O’Sullivan said.
Jye McNeil will ride Affair To Remember and the filly was the $3.50 favourite on Tuesday ahead of acceptances on Wednesday.
Affair To Remember and Pretty Brazen arre teh two fillies among the 12 nominations for the Sandown Guineas with the entries including the Danny O’Brien-trained colt Banquo who won the Listed Springtime Stakes (1400m) at Flemington last Saturday.
“I would certainly rather her be going up in distance and I’d rather not be taking on colts,” O’Sullivan said.
“There’s some progressive horses in this race but that’s the cards we’ve been dealt so we’ll take that path.
“Obviously she’s going to be well in the market and she is certainly a good chance, but I would rather her be going a bit further.
“O’Sullivan believes Affair To Remember is still untapped and plans to spell the filly after Saturday and target the Group One Australasian Oaks (2000m) in Adelaide in May.
Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au
