Palm Angel has almost six lengths to make up on My Gladiola from the Blue Diamond Preview, but trainer Jason Warren sees enough in his filly’s favour this weekend to bridge that gap significantly.
The daughter of Starspangledbanner will round out her preparations for the $2 million Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes in Saturday’s $300,000 Group 2 Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude (1100m).
Palm Angel finished fifth in the 1000m Preview at Sandown, but returning to Caulfield – where she won the Merson Cooper Stakes on November 30 – a more favourable barrier (five), an extra 100m in trip and meeting My Gladiola at level weights has Warren optimistic.
“She’s drawn well and she’ll race closer to the speed this start, we just had to ride her conservative from a poor barrier (12) last time,” Warren said.
“Given she wasn’t wound up, we didn’t want her having a gut-buster so she was ridden conservatively.
“My instructions to Ethan (Brown, jockey) were the help her through the dip before he asked her to quicken and the race was already over by the time she started to really motor into it.
“She peaked on her run, she carried 58 kilos and the winner carried 55, so I think at set weights this time it will be a lot different.
“She’s really come on for the run and you’ll see a big improvement this time out.”
Palm Angel is second favourite for the Prelude, in which all fillies will carry 56kg, but at $7.50 behind $1.95 chance My Gladiola.
The Rosemont Stud-raced filly is out to $26 in Blue Diamond Stakes odds, having once headed the market, but Warren said she was always going to benefit from her runs in the Blue Diamond lead-ups.
“The bonus of winning the Merson Cooper was we can train her for the Grand Final, we didn’t have to train for any of the prelims, so we’ll have our horse peaking on the day,” he said.