Grahame Begg says Passive Aggressive is ready to bounce back to winning form when she heads across the border to run in Adelaide.
Passive Aggressive will line up in the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday after giving Begg all the positive signs following a recent trip to Sydney.
Unbeaten in her first four starts, Passive Aggressive suffered her first defeat at Caulfield last August before she was sent for a spell.
Returning over 1000m in March, Passive Aggressive got up in the last stride to defeat Eduardo in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes on March 4 before staying on in Sydney to run in the Group 1 T J Smith, finishing 11th behind I Wish I Win.
That race was run at a suicide pace in the first half and Passive Aggressive, after being second to the home turn, wilted in the straight to be beaten 8-½ lengths.
Begg returned Passive Aggressive to Melbourne shortly after that race on April 1, and after a quiet week the mare has continued her build-up to Saturday’s Group 1 race for fillies and mares in Adelaide.
Part of that build-up included an 800m jump-out at Cranbourne last Monday in which she was ridden by regular rider Jordan Childs.
Begg and Childs are in sparkling form with the pair combining for a double at Sandown on Saturday through Cardinal Gem and Katsu while Childs also won the Listed VRC St Leger on longshot Dunwoody.
“She’s on target to head over there,” Begg said of Passive Aggressive.
“She jumped out at Cranbourne last Monday. She won the jump-out, not that we could see much of it as it was quite foggy.
“You really could only see them for the last 75 metres of the jump-out, but Jordy said she felt good and did it well, so I have to be guided by him.
“She’s freshened up nicely after the T J Smith. It was a bit of a gut-buster, but she looks in good order and the trial confirmed it.”