Racing: Flying filly has first-class chance

By MIKE DILLON

There are positives and negatives for Flying Class in tomorrow's Matamata Breeders Stakes, but the positives are in the ascendancy.

Start with the name.

If you want a handle for a horse coming out of barrier No 1 in a major speed race for juveniles, Flying Class just about covers it all.

Names don't win races, but factors such as being the fastest 2-year-old around certainly do.

Flying Class was narrowly beaten last start by tomorrow's chief rival, Lady Dehere, in the $500,000 Mercedes Super Bonus Classique, but this is likely to be a different type of race.

The Te Rapa track that day was right against leaders and horses on the rail. The 1200m time of 1.10.17 may have been slick, but that reflected the class of horse rather than the condition of the footing, which was lush and against blistering speed.

Lady Dehere, a dour filly as well as a fast one, looked better suited by the conditions and she was better positioned, wider on the track, than Flying Class.

The blinding pace Flying Class showed to win the Mercedes Prelude at Ellerslie the time before was absent.

"She's a fast filly and needs a fast track," said co-trainer Andrew Scott.

She also knocked a leg during the Te Rapa race and although it was not a serious injury, it probably took a bit out of her, he said.

"They say they don't feel much in their legs while they're racing, but knock your ankle when you're running and you feel it all right.

"There was filling around the joint the next day, and it took three to four days in the pool to come right."

The stable was not disappointed in Flying Class last time.

"She was the only horse all day who led and fought on.

"Also, 100m out she was four widths off the inside running rail and whether it was in pain or under pressure, she went back towards the rail in the closing stages and into the worst of the footing."

Scott also felt the gap between races would better suit Flying Class.

"In retrospect, it was quite a while between winning on Boxing Day at Ellerslie and the Te Rapa race [on February 2]."

There were only 18 days between the filly's Trentham debut second and her Boxing Day victory.

"She backs up well, we know that, and I feel, if anything, she is better this time."

However, the stable believed she was better suited to racing right-handed.

"Against that, she is racing on her home track and won a trial here before she raced."

Once safely through tomorrow, Flying Class will take on the $A140,000 Reisling Slipper Trial at Rosehill on March 9, and possibly the $A2.5 million Golden Slipper after that.

If there are any chinks in Flying Class's armour again, Lady Dehere is just the one to exploit them.

She is back to her best after niggling foot problems and, despite her wide barrier, should be there to challenge in the home straight.

There have been showers around and any easing in the footing would suit Simply The Best, narrowly beaten on a fast track last start and an impressive winner on easy tracks at her only two other appearances.