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Doyle hoping emerging filly rides high in city debut

3 minute read

Trainer Nathan Doyle has so far kept the steps small with promising filly Overriding but he says now’s the time, by heading to Randwick on Saturday, to find out what’s under the bonnet.

Trainer : NATHAN DOYLE after, STARBORETA winning the PFD FOOD SERVICES F&M BENCHMARK 78 HANDICAP
Trainer : NATHAN DOYLE after, STARBORETA winning the PFD FOOD SERVICES F&M BENCHMARK 78 HANDICAP Picture: Martin King / Sportpix

Overriding has won three of her five starts including back-to-back victories on her home track and Nathan Doyle is quietly confident that she fits in well in the Vinery Stallions Handicap (1300m) against three-year-olds.

"It's the right race for her and I'm looking forward to seeing if she can take that step,'' he said.

"It's being able to keep her in her own age group. She's lightly raced and on the up and sometimes in the Midways you can get those old heads, they seem to run the Midways a bit like Highways and go flat out.

"We'll know where we are at coming out of Saturday."

Doyle was rapt with Overriding's second-up win over the 1250m at Newcastle three weeks ago, while the margin was under a length it convinced him the filly is ready for city company.

She was expected to win the race, as a $1.50 chance, and Punter's Intelligence sectionals showed she clocked easily a race best 33.84 for her last 600m to round up her rivals.

"It was a better win than it looked last start,'' he said.

"They went slow up front so she came from back and she's run the quickest last 600m of the day apart from the 900m race. Her sectionals were quite good to get over the top of them.

"We learned another thing about her as well, those better horses can be a little bit versatile and adapt to how the race is run. A bit of a sticky gate probably won't worry us then."

Overriding, $5.50 with TAB on Thursday, is not only trained by Doyle but he's the majority owner in the filly after he became "stuck with her" when he secured the horse as a yearling.

So far she's earned just over $85,000 and Doyle would like to think the best is still to come.

"We liked the way she moved, she was passed in at the time and we were able to make a deal afterwards,'' Doyle said.

"She was one of the first yearlings I bought, I got stuck with her and own most of her but it's turned out all right.

"She keeps improving. Sometimes these young horses put a good gallop in and plateau out but every time we step her out and gallop or race her she continues to improve which is what you want to see."

Stablemate Super Bright is chasing an overdue win in the Midway Handicap (1100m) after a narrow second-up defeat at Warwick Farm on the long weekend.

Doyle said he hopes there's plenty of early speed to offset a tricky barrier but concedes the mare isn't the type of horse that should be bustled early so it's probably not a negative.

"Out of that chute at Randwick if you're three deep with cover it's not the worst place to be,'' he said.

"It's been a while since she's won, she won two of her first three, but she deserves a win and she's got no weight on her back. It's the right race."

Meanwhile, Doyle is aiming stable star Norwegian Bliss at next month's Listed $200,000 Ramornie Handicap (1200m) at Grafton following her second trial of the preparation early this week.

The rising six-year-old, a winner of seven from 10, hasn't raced since late February and wasn't pressured in her Wyong hitout.

"I think she trialled better than it looked. We needed that tick over second trial to head to that race first-up,'' he said.


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