Annabel and Rob Archibald will roll the dice with blinkers on promising filly Tupakara as she chases her first career win in the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes at Randwick.
The three-year-old has been consistent against strong opposition, placing four times from seven runs including a Group 1 third to Nepotism in the Champagne Stakes (1600m) last season.
She resumed with a bold second to Apocalyptic in the Furious Stakes (1200m) and now gets the addition of blinkers. Champion jockey James McDonald continues his association with the filly.
“She is a lovely, honest horse,” Annabel Archibald said.
“When you’ve got ‘J Mac’ on it helps and we’ve added the blinkers as well.
“She was a bit on and off the bridle the other day and we were ‘umming’ and ‘ahhing’ whether to go winkers or blinkers or save them for the mile (of the Flight Stakes).
“But James came and galloped her on Tuesday and we put them on and she worked really well in them so we’ve put them on (race day).”
Stablemates Kujenga and Next Jen also line up, having finished fourth and seventh respectively in the Furious Stakes. While Tupakara is the clear favourite of the trio, Archibald says she rates all three highly.
“Tupakara, she was the one that drew poorly and beat all bar one last start so she is probably the obvious horse but I do find it hard to split them,” Archibald said.
“Next Jen’s run was good. She got held up a couple of times and she has got an inside draw. She will just need to break cleanly and put herself there but she did jump well the other day.
“Kujenga was terrific off one trial so she was always going to take big improvement from it as well.”
The trio step up to 1400 metres on Saturday, a distance expected to suit as they prepare for the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick in a fortnight.
Punters can find the best odds for the Tea Rose Stakes through Australia’s top betting sites.