Trainer Grahame Begg is in a race against time to secure a Stakes win for Zloties before the talented mare transitions to her breeding career.
This weekend’s Bendigo Gold Bracelet (1400m) may not be a Black Type event, but it represents a crucial step for Zloties as she attempts to elevate her credentials toward higher-level racing.
Zloties, now nearing six years old, has only raced seven times due to ongoing injury issues, particularly stress fractures in her shoulder that sidelined her for over two years.
“We always liked her and that’s why we ran her as a two-year-old,” Begg said.
“We liked what she did, so we put her away, brought her back, but then she went sore, and she had a couple of bouts of soreness over a two-year period.”
Since returning, Zloties has shown real promise, winning at both Geelong and Sandown. Her latest campaign has seen a placing and a victory at Sandown, indicating she’s building momentum again.
“She’s come back and has done a good job, but now we’ve got to work on her rating, and even if she wins on Saturday, her rating may not go up enough to get into those better races.”
Begg is weighing several Stakes options including the Group 2 Queen Of The South Stakes (1600m), Group 3 Hawkesbury Crown (1300m), and the Group 3 Dark Jewel Classic (1400m).
“She’s in her second full preparation now and being a five-year-old mare, our job is to try and get her some ‘Black Type’ because she’ll probably be going off to stud,” Begg said.
“She’s a well-bred mare, so we’ll see what sort of plan we can conjure up.
“There’s the Queen Of The South Stakes in Adelaide, there’s a nice race in Sydney, the Hawkesbury Crown, and then a couple of weeks after that there’s the Dark Jewel Classic at Scone.
“There are options for her, it’s just finding the right one.”