New Zealand trainer Mark Walker says it is a juggling act to have star mare Imperatriz fresh enough for her first Group 1 assignment of the spring.
Imperatriz heads to Moonee Valley on Friday night to run in the Moir Stakes (1000m), in a bid at keeping her record intact at The Valley.
Last season, the mare took out the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) before heading off for a break, returning on September 9 to claim the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) in track record time.
Opie Bosson, who won the William Reid, will be reunited with the mare on Friday night after Michael Dee rode Imperatriz to victory in the McEwen Stakes.
Walker flew in from New Zealand on Monday to watch the mare at Moonee Valley on Tuesday morning, a gallop he said was ‘maintenance work’.
“In a perfect world you would be going 1100 or if not 1200 (metres), so we’ll have to see Friday night if she is fresh enough,” Walker said.
Walker and Te Akau Racing have resisted overtures from slot holders in The Everest to stay in Melbourne and chase Group 1 prizes.
After Friday night, Imperatriz heads to Manikato Stakes (1200m) back at The Valley on October 28 then on to the Champions Sprint (1200m) at Flemington two weeks later.
Walker said the decision to remain in Melbourne was two-fold.
“We weighed it all up and we just want to do the right thing by the mare,” Walker said.
“She’s just so happy at Cranbourne and it just makes sense keeping her in Melbourne as we didn’t want to be putting her on the float up to Sydney for nine hours, when we don’t really need to.
“There’s three Group 1’s coming up. After Friday night there is the Manikato Stakes on Cox Plate Day and then she’ll go to the Champions Sprint at Flemington, so she’ll just the four runs this prep.
“I do think she is better the Melbourne way, but it is hard to argue as her form is so good right-handed also, but I do believe and Opie does as well, that she is a little better Melbourne way around.”
Walker said while he had not seen Imperatriz in the flesh for around three weeks, he had been kept updated on her appearance through technology.
“With modern technology you see videos all the time,” Walker said.
“She’s really well, her coat is starting to come out and she’s basically the same weight she was going into the McEwen.
“She seems to have bounced through that really well, so you don’t have to increase the workload, you almost have to decrease it to maintain her.”
Imperatriz will race without synthetic hoof filler, with Walker saying that was used as a precaution when the mare flew to Melbourne, to stop her shifting a plate during travel.