While Tennessee Bound would likely be a strong candidate for favouritism in the Caulfield race she is nominated for, trainer Ciaron Maher is committed to his measured approach with the mare, who remains unbeaten.
The four-year-old is thus expected to feature next in Wednesday’s 1200-metre Evergreen Turf Handicap at Sandown.
The 78-rated mare is entered for Saturday’s $150,000 benchmark 78 over 1100m at Caulfield. However, she will compete in Wednesday’s $50,000 BM74 event with 59kg, aided by Jabez Johnstone’s 3kg claim, a factor that Maher’s assistant trainer Jack Turnbull found too enticing to ignore.
“We won’t try to jump too many bars in a row with her, we’ll just go up in slight increments,” Turnbull said.
“She’s done nothing wrong since the last win. She’s an exciting prospect, she had a nice gallop away last week with Blake Shinn on, and he was very fond of her.
“She looks like she’s improved. We could have gone to Saturday, but the programming allowed us to hopefully notch another win before going to an 84.”
Tennessee Bound, a Written Tycoon filly carrying Gerry Ryan’s Limerick Lane colours, is aiming to secure her fifth successive win to commence her career.
She made the leap from a Kyneton maiden to a Caulfield Heath BM66 in her initial campaign, also winning in BM62 grade at Cranbourne, before her first-up victory in benchmark 70 grade on Caulfield’s Heath track.
Tennessee Bound has drawn barrier three for Wednesday’s 14-horse race, and was installed as the $1.85 favourite on Tuesday morning.
Another Written Tycoon daughter that the Maher camp is likely to select the easier path for is Signature Scent, who is set to make her first start since Anzac Day at Caulfield.
The three-year-old filly is entered for the $200,000 Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m), but will more likely appear in the $150,000 fillies handicap over 1100m.
Signature Scent was freshened after competing in three races in Adelaide, where she achieved a win at restricted level, followed by a Listed third placing in the Redelva Stakes (1100m) and a fifth in the Group 2 Tobin Bronze Stakes (1200m).
“The addition of blinkers was a huge help in Adelaide, got her back to being competitive at Stakes level,” Turnbull said.
“She only had two weeks off, so she’s got a lot of residual (fitness), been in training not so long and she’s just had that one jumpout last week, so she’s in good order.”
Explore the competitive racing odds available on Australian betting sites for upcoming races.
