Two-state options for talented Abbey Marie

Sunday 5 March 2017, 3:52pm

Group One-winning mare Abbey Marie will be entered for upcoming stakes races in Melbourne and Sydney as she looks to get back to her best form.

Trainer Mick Kent has the option to run the mare on Saturday in either the Group Three Matron Stakes at Flemington or the Group One Coolmore Classic at Rosehill, although Abbey Marie also holds an entry for the Australian Cup.

At this stage the Cranbourne trainer is favouring staying closer to home to run at Flemington.

But that all could change depending on the weather.

"I'd fancy my chances up in Sydney with her if it stayed wet, but at this stage she's going to the Matron Stakes at Flemington," Kent said.

Abbey Marie has had two runs back following a long spell after contracting a mystery illness.

She won her first three starts including the Group One Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville last May.

She returned with a first-up eighth at Caulfield on February 11 before working home soundly when fourth to Silent Sedition over 1400m at Caulfield a fortnight later.

Kent said the rise to either 1500m in the Coolmore or the 1600m in the Matron was the ideal distance for Abbey Marie at this stage of her preparation.

"She had that long time off and missed some important trials but she ran all right first-up at Caulfield and ran a lot better last week," Kent said.

"I thought her run the other day was encouraging.

"I'm hoping she can get back to the level I know she can.

"Most horses wouldn't after what she went through."

– AAP

Latest News

Prime Thoroughbreds - We have a Host of Leaders in our Team

Tuesday, 29 June 2021

Prime Thor­ough­bred’s cur­rent rac­ing team is putt­ing to­gether quite a re­cord. We have 22 hors­es that have raced in our team at pre­sent. Six­teen of th­ese are win­n­ers in­clud­ing the Stakes win­n­ing trio Ru­bisa­ki, Fituese and Xtreme­time with Miss Di­vine Em and Miss In Charge run­n­ing 4th in Stakes races. This sees a stakes win­n­er to win­n­er ra­tio of 18.75% with a stake’s per­formed to win­n­er ra­tio of 31.25%. Th­ese are ex­cep­tio­n­al fig­ures.   More »

Freedmans land maiden Group One win

Saturday, 27 February 2021

Un­der-rat­ed fil­ly For­bid­den Love has emerged as an au­tumn car­ni­val smokey with a bril­liant per­for­mance to win the Sur­round Stakes at Rand­wick.  More »

Capriccio completes Damian Lane treble

Saturday, 27 February 2021

In a big day for coun­try-trained hors­es, War­r­nam­bool fil­ly Capric­cio has tak­en out the In­glis Dash for Daniel Bow­man.  More »

More news headlines »