The C.F. Orr Stakes 2014 could be the first interstate Group 1 target for Simon Miller’s Perth-based mare Power Princess if she successfully handles her maiden run outside of WA during the Melbourne Festival of Racing.
Ascot-based Miller is eyeing a trip to Victoria for his Marwina seven-year-old after Power Princess ran a brave third behind Conservatorium in the Group 3 A.J. Scahill Stakes (1400m) on Kingston Town Classic Day on Saturday.
The veteran mare could now head east for a shot at the big time including an elite level run in the $400,000 Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield Racecourse on February 8.
Power Princess will earn a CF Orr call-up if she performs well in the first Melbourne race Miller has on the program, the $220,000 Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on January 25.
If she isn’t quite up to scratch there then the CF Orr will be taken off the table and instead Power Princess will contest the mares only $150,000 Group 3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes (1200m) at the same meeting.
“The Australia Stakes will be a fork in the road,” Miller told Racing Victoria speaking of the race likely to also attract Peter Moody’s WInterbottom Stakes runner-up Moment Of Change.
“Depending on how she goes, she can either then go to the Orr Stakes or the Group 3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes against her own sex.
“The plan at the moment is to give her a couple of weeks in the paddock and then I’ll bring her back into work.”
At home in Perth Power Princess has thrice been tested in Group 1 company.
The first produced a brave third behind Australia’s turf darling Black Caviar in the 2012 Robert Sangster Stakes.
She then came within a half length of Barakey when runner-up in the Winterbottom Stakes last November.
The Winterbottom was again on the agenda this summer, Power Princess this time only managing to cross three lengths away 11th to the Rob Heathcote-trained Buffering.
Miller is also likely to bring his up-and-coming three-year-old filly Miss Rose De Lago to Melbourne with Power Princess this coming autumn.
The daughter of Encosta De Lago enjoyed two stakes wins on the trot last month, including the Group 3 WA Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m), against her own kind before going up against the boys.
She ran in the Group 2 WA Guineas (1600m) on November 23 just seven days after the Champion Fillies Stakes and lost few irers when a length away second to Ihtsahymn.
Ihtsahymn franked that form this Saturday just gone with their tidy win in the Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) and is also a chance for a Melbourne raid next year targeting the 2014 Australian Guineas – Australian Cup double.
Miller named the $120,000 Group 3 Typhoon Tracy Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on February 21 as the first-up option for Miss Rose De Lago before a shot at the $220,000 Group 2 Kewney Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on March 8.
“I’ll bring her over a bit later just so that I can give her a bit of a break here,” he said.
“Ideally I’ll kick her off in the Typhoon Tracy Stakes and then go to the Kewney Stakes at Flemington.”
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