Grahame Begg is eyeing a Group 1 race in Adelaide with Cilacap, but the filly will first take on open company at Caulfield.
The Group 3 Easter Cup (2000m) on Saturday will be Cilacap’s final lead-up to the Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville on April 26.
Begg opted for Saturday’s race for two reasons—he wanted to test the filly at 2000m and avoid making two trips to Adelaide for the Oaks.
The usual lead-up to the Australasian Oaks is the Group 3 Auraria Stakes (1800m) at Morphettville next week.
In a competitive betting market, Cilacap is the $5.50 favourite for the Easter Cup, but Begg feels the filly is not well-weighted against her rivals.
Cilacap, with a handicap rating of 90, was allocated 54kg, but if treated as a traditional handicap, she would carry only 46kg.
Begg expressed confusion as to why Saturday’s Group 3 race isn’t treated as a traditional handicap. He also noted Cilacap didn’t receive a sex allowance for being a three-year-old filly.
“I don’t understand why they don’t let horses run at their true rating and allow them to get their sex allowance,” Begg said. “They let them run at their true weight in Sydney, so they are not handicap races in the true sense. There’s no spread in the weights.”
Cilacap, with four wins and one third from six starts, comes off a victory in the Group 3 Alexandra Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley, where she overcame a track favouring on-pace runners.
Begg isn’t concerned about the 2000m, as Cilacap is a relaxed filly and the race gives her an extra week before the Oaks.
“She’s very relaxed and her mother (Falkenberg) ran third in a Queensland Oaks,” Begg said. “We’ll see if she runs the trip, but she switched off well last start, however this time she’s up against hard and tough geldings, so it will be a good test for her.”