Trainer Simon Miller was in a buoyant and confident mood following Amelia’s Jewel’s hit out this morning (Tuesday) ahead of her much-anticipated interstate debut on Saturday.
Miller was on hand live to cast his eye on Amelia’s Jewel’s main track gallop at Flemington before her first race outside of Perth in the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m).
It was Amelia’s Jewel’s first serious look at the Flemington course and her workout left Miller in no doubt that his star mare can match the hype that has her rated as one of Australia’s most exciting gallopers.
“She went really good, a thousand evens and home the last 400 metres,” Miller told Tabtouch.
“It was interesting work, strong early and she floated late, but still ran crazy times.
“She floated around the corner and then got into gear and as soon as she dropped her galloping partner she reversed parked up the straight.
“She came in with a low heart rate, but that’s her and a reflection of where she is at.
“She’s done now and that will do her, we’ll keep ticking her over.
“It’s just remarkable how easy she can do things and do it quick and make it look slow and then recover-it’s crazy.”
Amelia’s Jewel, the pin up girl of WA racing, heads east on the back off seven wins and two placings from nine starts for nearly $2.5 million in prizemoney.
A daughter of Siyouni, her signature Perth wins were the Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) and the Group 2 Karrakatta Plate (1200m) at Ascot.
She races first-up following two trials and an agonising defeat in the inaugural The Quokka (1200m) in April when a short half-head second to Overpass.
Amelia’s Jewel arrived in Melbourne last Friday and Miller says he can’t get over how well she has settled into her new surroundings.
“She hasn’t missed a beat or a skerrick of her feed,” Miller said.
“I was a bit surprised on how well her coat looked.
“It wasn’t bad, but it’s changed from last week to this week already and we’re heading in the right direction.
“She’s just professional and as I say her greatest asset is her brain.”
Julio Santarelli