Progressive filly Plucky Belle can bounce back to winning form in today's Le Pine Funerals Handicap (race 6) at Sandown Hillside.
Trainer Peter Moody has two runners in this RB72 handicap over 1400m, the other being Rocksan, but Plucky Belle looks well placed to break through at her second run from a spell.
The filly made her debut in the Group 3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes at Flemington almost 12 months ago and ran on hard to finish fourth before a spell.
She resumed in easier grade and notched a soft maiden “kill” over 1309m at Seymour, before heading to town over 1400m at Caulfield.
There she raced up from a wide gate to sit second before boxing on well, going down only a head at the finish when runner up behind And Rock.
She then raced over 1400m on the Lakeside track at Sandown and with a big weight raced close to the speed but failed to finish it off so went for another spell.
The filly resumed this time in over 1300m on the Lakeside track in this grade, but drew barrier 15 and went back to last.
She turned there before running on hard, finishing eighth but beaten only 2.1 lengths behind Babel in an eye catching return.
The filly is fitter for that effort and has drawn ideally in barrier seven today.
The extra ground suits and she drops 2kg after the claim.
Plucky Belle is very well placed here in this grade today and with even luck in the straight should be in the finish.
Stablemate Rocksan is at double figure odds as she faces tougher grade but is a filly on the up.
She was a good maiden winner fresh before a fast finishing fourth last time in an RB62 at Pakenham.
She looks suited b y the longer journey, can only be fitter, drops in weight and stable rider Luke Nolen goes aboard.
The Greg Eurell trained Sweet Ella is a handy filly who looks hard to hold out.
The filly won her first two career starts including one on the Lakeside track before another spell.
She has just one run last spring when ninth in the Listed Crockett Stakes before another spell so must have had an issue.
She resumed in the same race as Plucky Belle tackled last time and hit the line hard from midfield to finish third, beaten only a neck.
While Plucky Belle pulled a lot of ground off Sweet Ella, the latter did knuckle down strongly and looks likely to do the same here over the longer journey with the run under her belt.
She has a big weight but form a good gate should enjoy a soft run in transit.
Spanski is another who raced in the Babel race last time and she also ran well after getting too far back.
The John Sadler trained filly drew wide and settled last before running on for eighth, finishing alongside Plucky Belle.
She meets Plucky Belle worse at the weights but will be much better for the run and experience at just her second start and looks an each way chance here with further improvement
Crucial hasn't raced since finish last in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas in the spring.
But she is a fresh up winner, and also a fresh up winner at this journey when resuming last campaign.
She can race close to the speed and looks a strong each way hope here.
