Talented filly Soft Sand will either have a lead-up run in Sydney or two trials in Queensland before the Group One Tattersall's Tiara.
Soft Sand could have a lead-up run in Sydney for experience in the right-handed direction on her way to Brisbane for next month's Group One Tattersall's Tiara.
The talented Colin Little-trained filly returned from a break to win on her home track at Caulfield on Saturday to confirm the trip north.
The three-year-old daughter of Dansili, ridden by Damien Oliver, was slow to jump and was still trailing her eight rivals on the home turn before unleashing a powerful sprint in the straight .
Backed from $1.80 to start $1.75 favourite, Soft Sand scored by three-quarters of a length from topweight Rue Maple ($5.50) with Spurcific ($17) 3-1/4 lengths away third.
"We need one more run before her Melbourne Cup which is the Tatt's Tiara and as I've said before it doesn't exist in Queensland," Little said.
"So she'll either have a couple of trials in Queensland or we could even go via Sydney because I'm pretty keen to let her have one run the Sydney way of going before the Tatt's Tiara."
The $500,000 Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 23 is the race Little has had in mind for the filly for some time.
"It's the right race, Group One fillies and mares and (worth) half a million (dollars) so that's why she's back in work now really."
"She's one of those horses that trainers love. She's tough and hardy and takes a bit of work.
"She was in work for a long, long time last time in but she was as good at the finish as she was at the start."
A $160,000 Australian Easter yearling, Soft Sand has won four of her seven starts and finished out of a place just once when fifth to Empress Rock in the Group Two Kewney Stakes (1400m) at Flemington in March.
In February she won the Listed Kevin Hayes Stakes (1200m) and was runner-up to Shopaholic in the Group Two Angus Armanasco Stakews (1400m), both on her home track.
"I think she's a stunning filly, she's very Danehill-ish. Dansili's a Danehill horse and I just saw her walking around in Sydney and I had no intention of buying her," Little said.
"Dansili's a very good stallion and she just happened to fall into my price range."
"I just happened to be leaning up against the tree at Newmarket when she was going through and I had one bid."
Oliver said Soft Sand showed a good turn of foot when he let her go.
"And she handled the (slow) ground well which could come handy in Queensland."
