Gai's Choice was kept ticking over yesterday with a Rosehill trial as the David Pfieffer-trained mare is prepared for the Queensland Summer and Magic Millions in January.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The Group 1 placegetter ran third in a 1030m Rosehill trial yesterday behind the Gerald Ryan-trained Extraceed and stakes placegetter Flight Of Pegasus.
“She trialled well,” trainer David Pfieffer said.
“She was restrained to about the middle of the field, worked home nicely without being pushed along too much in what was a strong enough sort of heat and she was doing her best work late.”
Gai's Choice last ran on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington where a luckless seventh in the Herald Sun Stakes (1400m).
The David Pfieffer-trained mare has since returned to her Warwick Farm base where she is being prepared for a short stint in Queensland starting early next month.
“There is a race for her on the first of December in Brisbane,” Pfieffer said.
“A fillies and mares race which is her immediate plan and then we'll end up at the Magic Millions.”
Connections will have a couple of options during the lucrative raceday on January 12 with the Magic Millions Cup (1400m) and the Magic Millions Fillies And Mares Handicap (1300m) each suitable races for the five-year-old.
“We will look at both the Cup and the fillies and mares race,” Pfieffer said.
“We'll work out what we will do closer to it. If she wins a race on the way she will probably be weighted out of the fillies and mares race.”
Gai's Choice enjoyed a breakout campaign during her last trip to Queensland, claiming a maiden stakes success before running a close third in the Group 1 Tatt's Tiara (1400m) behind Pear Tart.
The General Nediym mare has yet to fight out a finish in three starts this campaign where the five-year-old perhaps deserves benefit of the doubt for at least her latest outing.
“She didn't really have a lot of luck,” Pfieffer said of her time in Melbourne.
“She got back in the big fields and just never got clear.
“Brett Prebble rode her on Cup day and he came back in and said 'forget she went around, she's probably seen every arse in the race'.
“She was still close to the tail of the field at the furlong and she finished seventh and she was still working home strongly.”
Gai's Choice will soon be joined at the stables by her half sister, a Northern Meteor filly who has been leased to David Pfieffer by Widden Stud.
Others to run for the stable in the coming days include Inside Job who lines up at Wyong tomorrow where he can record a fourth straight win while River Of Salvation and Tahitian Black will each start at Rosehill on Saturday.
