Newcastle preview: Elegant Empress poised to bounce back
Warwick Farm trainer Jarrod Austin is banking on a drop back in grade and distance to help deliver a confidence boosting win for his handy mare Elegant Empress.
The five-year-old resumed with a safely held third behind Photograph at Canterbury and followed up with a fifth behind Apex at her home track after being forced to race wide when the leader Struck Gold stayed two or three horses wide throughout.
'We could have opted to go to softer races in her first couple of runs but I know her first couple of runs up are there among the best of her preparation,' said Austin.
'We elected to run her in town hoping to get that city win with her.
'We have just missed a couple of times now. She ran second at Warwick Farm first-up last preparation to World Alliance and this time around, she ran third at Canterbury on a heavy track.
'I though that was an excellent run.
'I thought her last run was excellent too after coving ground. They were just a bit too good for her on the day.'
Elegant Empress comes down from Benchmark 72 races in town to the Cambridge Classic Benchmark 64 Handicap and is also dropping back from 1100m to 900m.
'She has never been over 900 metres, she only raced over 1000 and 1100 metres,' he said.
'I definitely think she will appreciate the 900 metres more than the 1100 metres. It's just a touch too far for her, especially against that quality of opposition in town.
'Plus dropping to the provincials will definitely help her.'
Austin is also looking forward to seeing Jewel County back at the races following a setback after her debut run.
The three-year-old filly made her debut at Newcastle on April 23 when fourth behind Mignonette.
'I thought she ran really well first-up,' Austin said.
'She had a little setback between runs and we had to give her a couple of weeks off to get over that.
'I was really encouraged by her first-up run and I thought her trial was nice at Rosehill last week.'
Jewel County returns in the Air Control Australia Midway 3YO Maiden Handicap (1400m) where she has drawn the outside in barrier 8.
'She is bred to get over a lot further than the 1250 metres she raced over first-up. She actually bred to get a lot further than the 1400 metres this weekend,' he said.
'She will be better when we can step her up to a mile and even further but I think she finds the right race here to kick off again.
'I think she's a great chance.
Jewel County hails from one of the great families in the Australian and New Zealand Studbooks.
Not only is she by French Derby and English and Irish Champion Stakes winner Almanzor, himself a son of boom sire Wootton Bassett, she is from a sister to Don Eduardo and Peruzzi and a three-quarter sister to Tristalove and Antwerp.
Austin, meanwhile, reported that his stable star Terra Mater has come through her first-up run well in the Listed Helen Coughlan Stakes at Eagle Farm where she finished midfield behind Zaszou.
'I was happy with her run. She put herself into the race from an awkward gate,' he said.
'She hit the front at the top of the straight and for a few strides, I thought she was going to make a real race of it but her condition just gave out late.
'She will more than likely head back to Queensland for the (Listed) Gai Waterhouse Classic at Ipswich on Saturday week.'
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