Pre-retirement cameo for Ladys Angel

Breeding barn-bound Ladys Angel has the chance to recoup some of her recent purchase price in tomorrow’s $80,000 Daniel McMillan Handicap (1200m) at Caulfield.

The former Sydney mare was acquired by Surace Bloodstock with the intention of a union with Star Witness this breeding season.

But with more than a month until the start of the season, Ricky Surace and Danny O’Brien will give the six-year-old daughter of Arena her shot at a farewell win.

“She was bought by a client of mine eight or nine weeks ago and the stud season doesn’t start until September, so he sent her down and said keep her ticking over until the stud season and we’ll give her a run or two,” O’Brien said.

“So she’ll have a run there tomorrow. She’s not far off being a mum and she might even be on the truck on Sunday morning up to the stud if she doesn’t fire, so we’ll just see.”

Ladys Angel comes to O’Brien a winner of five of her 25 starts, with a further 10 minor placings, for canny Sydney horseman Joe Pride.

Her biggest success was the 2011 Listed Hall Mark Stakes on a Heavy 8 surface, pictured, while she finished third in the following year’s Group 1 The Galaxy at Randwick on a Dead 5.

Ladys Angel has not started since finishing ninth behind Arinosa in the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes at Randwick on 13 April and while O’Brien is happy with the way she has adapted to his Flemington stable his confidence would be higher if the track was worse than the current Dead 5.

“The impression I get is that she’s better on a wet track, I see most of her better form is on the soft (ground), so I was hoping for a wet track,” he said.

Ladys Angel, who has drawn barrier eight in the field of 16, will carry 57.5kg after the 2kg claim for Katelyn Mallyon. She is a $10 chance in the TAB’s market, which is headed by consistent Mike Moroney-trained mare Octavia at $3.50.

Story By Brad Bishop, to view full Racing Victoria story click here

Photo by Bradley Photographers, to view Bradley Photographers website click here