Completing a dozen races in the current preparation is far from standard, but trainer Michael Morrison expects his robust mare Down Under Stunnah to fire in her final outing of the spell at Ipswich.
Morrison’s recent barn relocation from Beaudesert to Ipswich has him hoping the five-year-old will deliver his initial winner from the new locale, building on her January score at the track in the Living Turf Benchmark 60 Handicap (2180m) come Thursday from barrier two.
“This is her last run for the prep but I think she is well and truly still in good enough order to be going close again,” Morrison said.
She ran on stoutly for a close second at Ipswich over 2010m on March 6, backing that with fourth place over 2030m at Doomben next time out in April.
“She probably for a little bit further back that what is preferable,” he said of the metro midweek outing.
“They didn’t go overly quickly so if made things a little bit difficult, but it was a strong midweek race and I think the top four gapped the rest and she was taking a bit of ground off them late.
“We’re back out again in trip and the good thing about a good gate is that she can land in the good spot without having to do any work early and I think with her, she begins well enough but you also don’t want to have her under pressure early.
“The good gate will allow her to land in a good spot without using any petrol where two starts ago at Ipswich, she had to be used a bit to find a spot and I think that probably made the difference late.
Down Under Stunnah, a Under The Louvre foal from Stryking Stunnah, tops the litter with two wins and a brace of placings through thirteen runs.
South African import Brandon Lerena, now Queensland-based, has been her pilot for eight of the last ten voyages.
“He’s a strong rider and has great hands in terms of being able to get horses to relax,” Morrison said.
“I think that is very important wherever they are settling to be in that rhythm and give late.
“He’s the perfect rider and probably still underutilised up here and that works in our favour because we usually get first call on him.”
The trainer-jockey duo of Morrison and Lerena boasts three wins alongside four places from seventeen rides in Lerena’s preceding 100.
Check the racing betting markets on top sports betting platforms for Down Under Stunnah in the upcoming Living Turf Benchmark 60 Handicap at Ipswich.