Exciting filly Loving Gaby primed for Blue Diamond
1 year agoCiaron Maher says he wouldn't want any runner in Blue Diamond Stakes contention other than Loving Gaby - the filly he co-trains alongside David Eustace.
The two-year-old tuned up nicely for the juvenile sprint feature in two weeks' time with a strong gallop at The Valley this morning following her stunning victory on debut.
On February 2, Loving Gaby came from last to put paid to her rivals in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes at Caulfield and will next step out in the 1200m $1.5 million Group 1 Blue Diamond at the same venue on February 23.
“She came through her race very well, she’s never missed a beat really,” Maher told Racing.com.
“She’s nice and bright. She was good, her action was great and she quickened up nicely. She seems to be on track so far.”
Asked if he would swap her for any other runner, Maher said confidently: “No, no I wouldn’t.
“She should take a lot of improvement from that first-up run.
“She’s big, raw and new but when she lets go she is quite exciting.”
Loving Gaby jumped to Blue Diamond favouritism after previous early elects Catch Me and Brooklyn Hustle ran below expectations in the Prelude for fillies on Saturday, but Maher still believes the Blue Diamond winner will come from the female crop.
“It looked like Catch Me didn’t run to form. The fillies probably look to have it on the colts at this stage,” he added.
Maher and Eustace also have Bella Rosa ($15 with Ladbrokes) in the Blue Diamond after her second placing to stablemate Loving Gaby in the Chairman’s.
Watch Loving Gaby’s brilliant debut win below:
"Here comes the big filly, Loving Gaby over the top!"
— Racing.com (@Racing) February 2, 2019
A soft win for an impressive two-year-old at her first start - WOW! @LaneDamian @cmaherracing
RECAP: https://t.co/EUUTWNId04 pic.twitter.com/S9HxiMBHow
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