Joe Pride has no doubt In Flight has the potential to develop into a stakes-class sprinter and the mare will be given an opportunity to earn her way back into that grade via a benchmark race at Randwick.
The four-year-old had her first taste of black-type level in the Listed Starlight Stakes (1100m) last start where she finished a solid fourth behind all-the-way winner Eagle Nest.
On Saturday, she lines up in the Toyota Forklifts Handicap (1100m) where a victory will earn hr a shot at the Listed Canterbury Sprint (1200m) on January 1.
“One hundred per cent she is a stakes grade horse in the making, it’s just a matter of when she gets there,” Pride said.
“It’s a good, even field on Saturday and it will be a tough race to win, but she is a nice horse on the way up.
“I thought if she could win on Saturday she could go to the Listed race on New Years’ Day but she will need to be winning to go there.”
In Flight has been relatively lightly raced and has built an impressive record of five wins from 11 starts.
She has finished runner-up at her only two appearances on firm ground, while her victories have all come on rain-affected tracks.
Pride believes she is advantaged in the wet and while she won’t get those conditions at Randwick, which is rated a good 4, he is more concerned about her wide gate than the surface.
“Her big weapon is probably her ability to handle wet tracks and that’s why I ran her in that stakes race first-up,” he said.
“But she is still effective on the dry and she’ll go well on Saturday, although she has a tricky draw.”
Pride also has Accredited stepping up to Saturday grade in the TAB Handicap (1300m) following his convincing three length win at Warwick Farm last start.
He also has an awkward gate in barrier 12 and is likely to press forward.
“He was impressive the other day. He now needs to make that transition to Saturday grade but he looks like he’s got what it takes. I’m happy with him,” Pride said.
Stablemate The Replicant is an acceptor for the same race but is likely to be saved for another assignment on Boxing Day.