No rest for Miller's Rose
Simon Miller is almost certain to back up Miss Rose De Lago in next Saturday's Northerly Stakes as the leading trainer eyes the $1 million Carlton Draught Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on November 22.
Miss Rose De Lago will race second-up today in the Tabtouch With Cash Handicap (1300m) at Belmont Park after impressing with her fast-finishing second to Danablue last month carrying 58.5kg.
The four-year-old drops to 54.5kg today and was quickly tightened to $2.60 by the TAB yesterday when Stagnite was scratched.
The daughter of Encosta De Lago performed well without winning in a three-start Melbourne autumn campaign.
"I struggled with her weight and just couldn't get it under control," Miller said.
"Yet this time in her weight has been fantastic. I am rapt with her weight, her trial was good and her work is outstanding.
"She'll back up into the Northerly because she is on a Railway campaign.
"It is a bit tricky from her gate (six) but I am going to try to have her settled again and run home strong.
"If we feel we need to change tack in the better races we can throw her blinkers back on and fire her up."
Miller revealed his other class mare, Platinum Rocker, would have her first race in WA in 11 months when she resumed in the Prince Of Wales Stakes (1200m) at Ascot in a fortnight.
Miller campaigned Platinum Rocker in Queensland during the winter, where she achieved further black-type status.
Last year's Railway Stakes runner-up will take the weight-for-age route of the Prince Of Wales Stakes and the Lee-Steere Stakes (1400m) to the Railway.
"She is due to trial on Monday and is going brilliant," Miller said. "Both horses have come off interstate campaigns and are humming."
High Limit and Liberty's Gem give the Ascot stable the chance to snare a treble. High Limit will contest the Perth Racing Become A Member Handicap (1200m) and Liberty's Gem is in the Westspeed 3YO Handicap (1200m).
Chris Parnham's 1.5kg claim reduces High Limit's impost to 58.5kg in a race where trainers have gone for claiming apprentices on six of the 11 starters.
Liberty's Gem strikes far tougher opposition than he did on debut when he beat Megafactory a fortnight ago. He also has to carry 2kg more.
"High Limit drops back so the barrier (10) is not too big of a worry," Miller said. "There looks to be a good tempo up front and it was a good first-up run by him."
