Racing: Imelda Mary ready for $100k feature

Imelda Mary runs in the Lowland Stakes at Hastings today. Photo / Trish Dunell

Rags-to-riches filly Imelda Mary will be out to continue her rich vein of form when she contests the $100,000 group two Little Avondale Lowland Stakes (2100m) at Hastings today.

The Wayne Hillis-trained filly has proved a revelation this term, winning three of her past four starts including a dominant last-start victory in the group two Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa.

The Matamata trainer is pleased with the condition of the three-year-old filly he purchased for just $3500 as a yearling and subsequently named after his elderly mother.

"There has been a bit of improvement in her since her win at Te Rapa but we have just been maintaining her really," Hillis said.

"She's up and fit and racing keeps ticking her over.

"She is quite a tough filly. She has been to Christchurch and back for the Guineas and she had a little break after that but only a couple of weeks."

The daughter of Ferlax, whom Hillis shares in the ownership with family friends Chris Delamore and Ross Robertson, has been racing since August.

The improving filly broke her maiden at Matamata in December at her 12th career start after six starts as a two-year-old, including a down-the-track performance in the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m).

"I thought she was a three-year-old more than anything and I wasn't going to run her in the Karaka Million 2YO but I wanted to give her a few runs for education. As we got closer to the race we thought she was going to make the field, so we thought we may as well have a go given the prizemoney.

"I have always been waiting for her to get up in distance because I thought she might show something but I didn't know she was going to be this good."

Hillis said Imelda Mary would likely be ridden forward of mid-field from barrier seven today.

"At anything less than a mile she had no early speed to take a position and it has only been in her two distance races that she has got a bit handier," he said. "She shouldn't end up too far back from seven but if she does end up back in the race she can come on from there."

Safely through the Lowland, Hillis said Imelda Mary would contest the group one New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on March 16, although that would not necessarily be her season finale.

"She is nominated for the Australian Oaks [group one, 2400m] and all going well we will press on to there and that will be her final.

"We will just go race by race to see how she is handling it. It is only four weeks after the New Zealand Oaks so she wouldn't need a run in between."

- NZ Racing Desk