Ciaron Maher will unveil two of his talented three-year-old fillies at Moonee Valley on Saturday, with both Cherish Me and Exit earmarked for the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) later this spring.
Cherish Me resumes in the 1200-metre Drummond Golf Plate that opens the program, while Exit lines up just over an hour later in the 1523m Manhari Handicap. Both have raced only three times each, but Maher and assistant Jack Turnbull are confident they can develop into Guineas contenders.
Returning from a spell in the Blue Diamond in February, Cherish Me was sixth at Caulfield on July 26, beaten under three lengths by Ole Dancer. The daughter of Brazen Beau has since looked sharp in a Cranbourne jumpout with blinkers applied, pleasing Turnbull. “She was just OK first-up, she travelled in patches and did a lot wrong, so she’s had a jumpout with blinkers and went very good,” he said. “She was nice and sharp, had another piece on Tuesday morning with them on and in a small field, (she’s) ready to go. We think she’s a Thousand Guineas prospect. She probably goes to the Jim Moloney (Stakes) after Saturday, win lose or draw, and then you moulding her into that seven to eight-furlong type of horse.”
The $175,000 Listed Jim Moloney Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 20 looms as her next step.
Exit, by Bivouac, comes off a second placing at Flemington when beaten as a $2.05 favourite. While she faces the same rival, Chris Waller’s Crossbow, Turnbull believes the longer trip will help. “She just needs that little bit of extra distance now, but finds a winnable race again,” he said. “I’m not shying away from her, I still think she’s got a lot of class. I don’t think she would lose any admirers (from last start), I certainly haven’t, and I expect her to run well again Saturday.”
Exit has Mark Zahra aboard, while Tom Stockdale partners Cherish Me, both fillies high in betting for their respective races.