Odds-on favourite Alizee has been primed for a first up winning performance when she resumes in the Group 2 $200,000 Light Fingers Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.
Alizee will return to the races in the 2018 Light Fingers Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart
The James Cummings-trained Alizee who will carry the famous Godolphin royal blue colours, has been installed the $1.80 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au for her first appearance since finishing third to Aloisia in the Group 1 $500,000 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield during the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
At her previous start Alizee was able to claim Group 1 glory with her win in the Group 1 $500,000 Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
Cummings has given Alizee one barrier trial in preparation for her return to the race track and was happy with her second to sprinting star Redzel over 1000m at Rosehill on February 5.
“She looked very strong storming home in a high class official trial at Rosehill and since then she has come on and looks capable of running well,” Cummings told AAP.
“She is a terrific filly. She is very well treated at the weights and I feel she has improved a bit since the Spring.”
“It is going to be a strong race, which is great because it gives an emerging filly the chance to come along.”
“I’m sure they’re going to need to be pretty strong if they’re going to be matching motors with Alizee.”
Glyn Schofield has ridden Alizee on four previous occasions for three wins and gets the ride again in the Light Fingers Stakes on the Sepoy filly who has drawn nicely at barrier four in the field that has been reduced to thirteen runners with the early scratching of the Chris Waller trained Charlayne.
On the second line of betting at $4.80 and the only other runner under the $10 mark is the Group 1 winning Kiwi filly Melody Belle who will jump from gate twelve with Rory Hutchings in the saddle.
The Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards trained Melody Belle was the winner of the Group 1 NZ$225,000 Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni in New Zealand in April 2017 and is coming off a last start win in the Group 3 NZ$70,000 Mongolian Khan Trophy (1200m) at Ellersile on January 27.
The third filly in the betting at $12 is the Golden Slipper runner up Frolic who will jump from the outside gate with Jason Collett booked to ride.
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