A change of plans will see the three year old filly Formality run against the best sprinters in the land in the Group 1 $750,000 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Formality, above, is set to run in the 2018 Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington. . Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Formailty was set to miss the Black Caviar Lightning and kick off her 2018 Autumn Carnival in the Group 1 $500,000 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday week but a late decision will see the Fastnet Rock filly take on the older horses down the Flemington straight.
Lindsay Park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig will then send Formality to Sydney to run against the fillies in the Group 1 $500,000 Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on March 3.
“We were originally thinking possibly the Oakleigh Plate but we thought this gives her a shot at two Group Ones and she seems in great order,” co-trainer Tom Dabernig told AAP.
“The Lightning is a tough ask but she’s a proven Group horse and we think she’s a Group One horse, so we’ll give her an opportunity.”
“She was good when she ran third in the Coolmore Stud Stakes down the straight and in two weeks there’s a Group One 1400-metre race for fillies in Sydney.”
Formality was one of the leading two year olds for Lindsay Park during the 2017 Melbourne Autumn Carnival with a win in the Group 3 $150,000 Ladbrokes Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield before running third to stablemate Catchy in the Group 1 $1.5m Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
The filly returned in the Spring to win three of her five race starts, two at Randwick in the Group 2 $200,000 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) and in the Group 2 $200,000 Furious Stakes (1200m) and then returned to Melbourne to win the Group 3 $350,000 Catanach’s Jewellers Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
Formality had one more run before being sent for spell and finished a close up third behind Merchant Navy and Invincible Star in the Group 1 $1m Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on the first day of the 20117 Melbourne Cup Carnival.
The blinkers go on Formality for the first time in the Black Caviar Lightning and the filly will jump from barrier eight with Dwayne Dunn in the saddle.
The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Redzel is chasing his seventh win on the trot and heads the Black Caviar Lightning betting at $1.80 with Ladbrokes.com.au while Formality is rated as a $10 chance.
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