Stable confident Chilly Girl will fire with clear running in Tea Rose

Trainer Sterling Alexiou has taken positives out of the negatives of Chilly Girl’s Furious Stakes (1200m) run as he looks confidently to the 1400m of the group 2 Tea Rose Stakes on Saturday at Randwick.

Chilly Girl finished a half-length second to Bangkok Hottie in the group 2 Furious Stakes two weeks ago, which followed a first-up win over Blue Door in the listed 1100m Rosebud.

Bangkok Hottie came down the outside of leader and favourite Pembrey in the Furious. Chilly Girl was held up briefly behind Pembrey before coming down the inside from the 300m.

Alexiou, who trains in partnership with Gerald Ryan, believed the signs were good for Chilly Girl stepping up to 1400m and he hoped she could find the front from gate two and prove hard to beat on Saturday. Chilly Girl was $3.30 TAB favourite on Thursday, ahead of Bangkok Hottie ($4.80) and Striking Alibi ($3.90), which flashed home for third in the Furious.

“She was good through the line and did everything right,” Alexiou said of the Furious.

“We rode leaders back and the favourite just took us nowhere, just in a position where we were being dictated back to the rail, which probably didn’t end up being the greatest spot on the track on the day.

“But she’s come through it really good and is ready for a peak performance on Saturday.

“We sort of felt 1400 wouldn’t be an issue for her, but you don’t really know until you get there. But just seeing her held up and still being strong through the line and after the line, it augurs well for 1400 on Saturday.”

Tim Clark also rides for the stable in the group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) when General Salute returns off two winning trials.

Now six, General Salute had a productive comeback winter from bone chip surgery, winning the 1400m Winter Stakes and placing in two other listed races. He was a $15 chance to resume a winner from gate four in the Epsom Handicap qualifier.

“He’s got a good foundation, obviously coming off not much of a turnaround through the winter,” Alexiou said.

“His two trials have been as good as he’s ever trialled. It’s quite a deep race on Saturday, but he’s a super consistent horse, probably the only thing he doesn’t find in his favour is there won’t be a bit of cut out of the track. He really enjoys getting his toe in, but he does nothing but run well.

“He’ll probably go to the Alan Brown Stakes after this, then we’ll work out where we head with him.”

Franz Josef ($9) is the Rosehill stable’s other runner at Randwick. The six-year-old runs in the third, a 1600m benchmark 88, after two sixths since returning from close to two years off the scene with injury.

“He’s getting better,” Alexiou said.

“There’s a lot of speed, a lot of pressure in this race on Saturday though.

“His fitness is nearly there now, so expecting good improvement out of his last run. If he gets a nice run in transit, he won’t be far away Saturday, and he’ll be more or less cherry ripe at his next start.”

Meanwhile, Alexiou said Skyhook was set to contest the Shannon Stakes next week at Rosehill after recovering from his Theo Marks Stakes win last Saturday.

On Friday at Newcastle, the stable expects Snitzel Dancer to improve off her first-up fifth in the Mona Lisa Stakes when she tackles the group 3 Tibbie Stakes (1400m).

Winner of the group 3 James Carr in the autumn, Snitzel Dancer was making up ground late down the outside at Wyong and steps up another 50m on Friday. She was $11 from gate three in the fillies and mares feature.

“She ran OK first up,” Alexiou said.

“Probably the tight track around there probably didn’t suit her. I think the step up in trip and bigger tracker at Newcastle will be to her liking. She’s going well and has improved off the first-up run.”

Stablemate Matias was down to race in the group 3 Cameron Handicap (1500m) but he could be saved for a benchmark race next Saturday at Rosehill. He has not raced since winning the 2000m Frank Packer Plate and pulling up with a joint injury.

“He’s first-up and off only on trial,” he said.

“He’s coming off a bit of a setback, so it’s about getting him back, getting him race fit and just seeing what’s around and what might fit into his preparation. He’s a Magic Millions horse so that’s probably something we’ll look at later in his preparation, freshen him up and head to Queensland.”

He said Big Dance qualifiers, the Craven Plate and Melbourne races were on the table for the four-year-old.

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