Belle Plaisir will chase Listed victory at Bendigo this Saturday, but the Golden Mile could serve a greater purpose for the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained mare.
The signature race on Bendigo’s metropolitan program will put the polish on a campaign aimed at the Group 2 Queen Of The South Stakes (1600m) in Adelaide on April 27.
The seven-year-old backs up after a second placing at Caulfield last Saturday, her third minor placing from as many runs this campaign, and Tony Mcevoy said the $200,000 1600-metre event at Bendigo should have her in perfect shape for her Adelaide goal.
“I just felt she needs another run, so we’ll back her up this week and then two weeks into that,” he said.
“She’s come back a bigger mare. She’s normally quite a narrow mare and doesn’t carry a lot of flesh, but she’s looking like a colt this time, so I thought another run might help her.”
Belle Plaisir has run in the Queen Of The South the past two years, finishing fourth in 2022 and eighth last year.
The 2023 result followed a fifth placing in the Bendigo Gold Bracelet (1400m), one of the support races on Bendigo’s Golden Mile program.
Belle Plaisir will start from barrier 13 in the 16-horse Golden Mile, in which she shares the $7.50 third line in betting with Euphoric.
Favourite, at $5.50, is emergency Golden Path, who has secured a run following the scratching of Jimi Hendrix, just ahead of Foxy Frida ($6), winner of the past two Gold Bracelets.
Belle Plaisir is not the McEvoys’ only Golden Mile runners, to be accompanied by Frankie Pinot.
The son of Your Song, a $16 chance, has not placed in three runs this campaign, or won since the 2022 Wangoom Handicap 18 runs ago, but McEvoy said the seven-year-old’s form was better than it appeared on paper.
“Frankie was great the other day, ran really well,” he said of the gelding’s last-start fourth placing at Flemington.
“I thought she (jockey, Madison Lloyd) pressed the button a bit early and he emptied a bit late but was only beaten a length.
“It’s been a long time since he’s won a race, but he’s been running really well.”
Frankie Pinot has drawn barrier two and will be ridden by Luke Currie, while Blaike Mcdougall has the job aboard Belle Plaisir.