Mudgee trainer Brett Thompson has boldly declared his filly Classical Melody is capable of upstaging her highly fancied city rivals by winning Saturday's Inglis Classic (1200m) at Rosehill.
And Thompson isn't concerned by the presence of raging-hot Anthony Cummings favourite Diamond Earth, who's won her last two and already collected nearly $300,000 in prizemoney.
Half of that came in the Inglis Nursery (1000m) last start where she beat home impressive Gai Waterhouse youngster De Shamekh, who bounced back with a crushing win at Rosehill on the weekend.
Classical Melody meanwhile is looking to add the lion's share of the $250,000 Inglis Classic purse to the $6500 she earned connections when winning a maiden over five furlongs at Orange last start.
Stepping up to 1200m as one of only three previous winners in the race, Thompson said his two-year-old was primed to take the fight to Diamond Earth.
“I reckon we'll be in the top three, and I reckon we can win it,” Thompson said.
“I know there's one of Cummings's in it that's won two but to me when I saw those races it looked like he fell in over the thousand metres and only just got there.
“I heard the talk is he's going to try and ride it with cover and that's telling me that he's a bit worried about the 1200.
“It's won 300,000 but it's in these restricted races and they're easier to win.
“Our plan has always been to go down and have a crack at this race. I've got young owners and different blokes that have never been down there and I said she won't win sitting in a box.
“They pay 5000 [dollars] down to eighth and that's as much as we get for winning a race down here. You never know, you won't know unless you have a crack.”
Thompson hasn't been to Sydney since making the trip down with stable star Hewentwhoosh in May last year.
Classical Melody is a half-sister to Hewentwhoosh, and Thompson is tipping the filly to be a more successful horse than her well credentialed older brother.
The trainer was taken by Classical Melody's make up when he shelled out $16,000 at last year's Inglis Classic yearling sale in Sydney, and also saw potential in her breeding.
“She had very good bones, she had good scope she was just nice and relaxed, she reminded me a lot of her brother and she was a good free walker,” Thompson said.
“She was a lot better put together and she had better size than Hewentwhoosh.
“The mare that she's out of has had four first-season sires and she's thrown winners to all of them.
“Her first foal was by Untouchable and none of them are any good and he's won three races.
“Hewentwhoosh won eight.
“She's hasn't thrown a stakes winner or anything yet but this one might be it.
“This time she's got a Dane Shadow down in the sale, a full brother to Hewentwhoosh, so hopefully we can win the race and have a crack at buying him.”
Thompson said the filly's breeding would also hold her in good stead for the step up in trip.
“Librettist the first season sire she's by, he won his two-year-old races over 1400 and 1600,” Thompson said.
“The mother's won over 2000 so I honestly think the further the race goes the better it'll suit her.”
