Unchain My Heart will be on trial for the Adelaide Cup when she aims for her second win in the Listed Bagot Handicap at Flemington.
The David Hayes-trained mare has proven herself in off-season staying features at Flemington in recent seasons, winning the Bagot Handicap (2800m) two years ago and the Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes (3200m) in May this year.
Unchain My Heart hasn’t won since the Ramsden but Hayes believes the mare is in good enough form to make her presence felt on Wednesday.
And if successful, Hayes will set the mare for the $400,000 Group Two Adelaide Cup (3200m) at Morphettville in March.
The seven-year-old has been installed the early favourite at $4.60 for the Bagot ahead of Blazing Dragon and Hurdy Gurdy Man at $5.
Hurdy Gurdy Man edged Unchain My Heart out of second place in the recent Werribee Cup (2600m) won by Pelicano.
“She just wasn’t quite suited to Werribee the other day when she missed the start,” Hayes said.
“She was always chasing a bit and in the wrong spot. I really feel Flemington will suit her.
“This is about her class and she’s on trial for a trip for the Adelaide Cup.”
The Bagot, which has attracted a field of 14, is one of two stakes races on the New Year’s Day card highlighted by the Group Three Standish Handicap (1200m).
Trainer Pat Carey will run Group One winner Ethiopia in the race, with the stayer resuming from a let-up after his seventh in the Melbourne Cup (3200m).
He is the outsider in betting with last start winner Decircles favourite to make it back-to-back wins in the race for trainer Danny O’Brien after Adamantium’s success at the start of this year.
Carey said they elected to keep Ethiopia ticking over after the spring rather than giving him a traditional spell.
“Our view is to just keep him ticking over and that’s why we’ll run him in the Standish,” Carey said.
“The autumn comes around pretty quick. At this stage we’ve kept him in touch with his fitness. We didn’t want to see him go to the paddock and come back and have to be forced to get fit on hard tracks.”