3 minute read

Jockey Mikayla Weir is well aware other riders will be paying a lot more attention to what she’s up to on promising filly Bomarea at Randwick on Saturday than two weeks ago on the back of her impressive Highway win.

The Marc Quinn-trained three-year-old was a $14 chance when she turned a 1000m Highway into her own with a dashing performance and now has to step up an extra 200m with the addition of expectation.

Mikayla Weir said it's likely she won't have to push the button early on Bomarea, who opened $3.10 in the TAB Highway (1200m), as she rises in trip and has faith in her ability to adapt.

"We'd probably like to ride her a little bit quieter, not cold just a little more conservative early,'' she said.

"I don't think I'll have any trouble controlling her, she's never fought me when I've asked her to do something.

"We drew bad the other day and because she has that gate speed we used that to our advantage. Drawing well over 1200m, we'd like to see something go and let her settle."

All three career wins so far have been when fresh so it'll be interesting to see how the filly reacts backing up in a fortnight for the first time.

Bomarea showed lightning gate speed to lead on the fence by the 800m first-up so from barrier three she won't have to do as much work and there's also the option to lead if nothing else wants to.

"She was really good, she just got out of the gates really quickly and got running,'' Weir said.

"She does it so easily, she has a high cruising speed.

"That's just her, it doesn't feel like you're going that fast. It feels like she doesn't actually touch the ground."

That win was both Quinn and Weir's fourth TAB Highway success, and the trainer's first since mid-2019.

Quinn spoke in glowing terms about the filly following her last start win suggesting a race like The Kosciuszko wouldn't be beyond her if she keeps improving so there's no doubts from his side about her stretching out past 1000m.

So Saturday's Highway is an important race for Bomarea, not only if there are ambitions for the $2 million country showpiece but for the more pressing Newhaven Park Country Championships.

For the latter she'll need to prove to Quinn and Weir that 1400m will be in her wheelhouse, the Mid North Coast Championships is run at Tuncurry in late February, so another strong performance at Randwick will open up options for the future.

"I think she's up to it, I thought she was up to it the other day as well it's just no-one was looking at her,'' Weir said.

"We've got to get 1200m then hopefully she can get further. With maturity she will only get better too.

"She's very lightly raced so anything is a possibility."

"Every time I've seen her she's got stronger and stronger so hopefully she's where she was at the other day."