Rousing back-to-back barrier trial wins augurs well for the Jason Coyle-trained mare Proud Image to post an infrequent win when she lines-up in the opener at Nowra.
The daughter of Blue Diamond and ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Pride Of Dubai has only managed one single victory in her 14 starts but is looking razor sharp in her lead-up work most mornings at Warwick Farm.
“She has always trialled relatively well so it was probably no surprise,” Coyle said.
“You would be disappointed if she didn’t (trial well) but I think she has trialled against a couple of nice horses which is a positive, albeit there were on the bridle.
“I am really happy with how she has come into this preparation and we’ve got barrier one which is fantastic.
“It is just going to be how she leaves the barriers. If she launches out of the gates and is naturally there, that’s fantastic, she can lead them up.
“If she comes out not as good as something else, she is quite adaptable and can take a little sit off hopefully a solid tempo.”
Coyle has found the perfect race at the perfect time for the stable’s six-year-old gelding Mandalorian to take his earnings through the $100,000 mark in the Bomaderry Bowling Club Handicap (1600m).
The Coyle-bred son of the Coyle-trained pair Va Pensiero and Mari Pintau finished well down the order at Canterbury nine-days ago but with excuses.
“I still don’t really understand what happened on the evening,” Coyle said.
“Jay (Ford) suggested that maybe he just hasn’t started to turn on the tighter track.
“He struggled and failed to keep in contact but his determination once balanced to at least close the race off was really positive.
“I think he is going much better than his form suggests and he obviously goes right back to where he has run well in his grade and where he has run some really good races.
“A horse like him isn’t going to win often and his racing pattern sometimes alludes to not even finding that first three or four but like I said, if you watch his replays, I think he is going okay.”
Mandalorian has raced at the Nowra mile four times for a win and two seconds.
Another of the Coyle-trained Va Pensiero’s headed south on Sunday is Impressiero whose record at Nowra presently stands as one from one.
“She is not a big mare and she should probably race well fresh but she generally takes a run or two to hit her straps,” Coyle explained.
“1200m is probably still a shade sharp for her, she tends to like that 1300m and 1400m which is where she produced her best last preparation but I think the drop in grade hopefully accounts for that and the inside gate is a positive.
“If she can handle the 60.5kg she is obviously a chance down there.”
Coyle, meanwhile, is forecasting a better outcome for Mythical Moochi in the Carpet Court Maiden compared to her last at Randwick on Boxing Day.
“I don’t know what happened at Randwick,” said Coyle.
“Maybe the long trip out to Bathurst, I just shouldn’t have turned up ten days later. He is probably not that sort of horse just yet.
“He is still a little bit fragile and hopefully that is a full-on forget and now that he has had a few weeks between runs and if he can produce that first-up or second-up run over the 1300m, I think he looks well-placed there.”
Shayne O’Cass - Racenet