Former smart juvenile Mafia Miss will line up for just her second start in more than a year when she resumes at Randwick on Saturday.
The Grahame Begg-trained filly is still a maiden after eight runs but wasn’t far off some of the best two-year-olds of her generation.
She was runner-up in both the 2009 Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) and 2010 Widden Stakes (1100m), both at Listed level, and wasn’t disgraced in last year’s Silver Slipper finishing fifth to Chance Bye.
She returned in the spring but failed to fire, finishing down the track in a midweek race at Canterbury, so Begg pulled the pin on her campaign.
The Randwick trainer, currently on an overseas break, said he had been pleased with her two recent barrier trials, the latest a 4-1/2 length win at Rosehill.
“I am happy with the way that Mafia Miss has trialled leading into this race on Saturday,” Begg said.
“We did give her an extended break after her one run last preparation as she was disappointing in that race and I was not happy with the way that she was going.”
Mafia Miss’ two stakes placings both came when she was first-up and she has drawn ideally in barrier three for the ATC Foundation Memberships On Sale Now Hcp (1200m).
Apprentice Jason Collett has the ride.
Meanwhile, stablemates and Group One winners Secret Admirer and Ilovethiscity are both progressing well towards the spring.
Begg said the pair was scheduled to resume at Warwick Farm on August 20 with Randwick Guineas winner Ilovethiscity to kick off in the Listed Show County Quality (1200m) and Flight Stakes heroine Secret Admirer to return in the Listed Toy Show Quality (1300m).
AAP TURF