Trainer Lee Curtis backs Modella for spring mares after strong comeback

Rosehill trainer Lee Curtis believes a bigger and stronger Modella is the “real deal now” and ready to soften the blow of losing the stable’s other spring contender on Saturday in the group 2 Golden Pendant (1400m).

Modella scored a breakthrough win first-up in the listed Mona Lisa Stakes (1350m) at Wyong on September 4 after seven unplaced attempts in stakes grade.

The powerful finish from near last came a day after fellow five-year-old mare Bauhinia trialled well at Warwick Farm for Lee and Cherie Curtis ahead of her spring return. However, the group 2 Hot Danish Stakes runner-up pulled up with a fractured knee soon after, likely ending her career at two wins from 13 starts and $502,425 in earnings.

“I think she’s going to go in foal,” Lee said.

“When you’ve got a small team, it’s a big blow for us, but we just move on.”

Curtis, who has 17 in work, is confident Modella can step up again on Saturday at Rosehill after returning in style this preparation.

“She’s a filly who’s not had luck on her side many times, but she’s just come back that bit stronger, as you would hope and expect, and she feels like the real deal now,” he said.

“Her work leading up to the Mona Lisa was unbelievable. She was just absolutely flying.

“If you looked at that race at the 600m, you’d say she can’t win this, so she defied the odds.

“This race is harder of course, but we go in there thinking we’ve got a good hope.

“We wanted to give her three weeks between runs because she felt that run, but she’s back and she galloped Saturday and to a lesser extent Tuesday, and she’s ready to go.

“She’s fantastic, she’s a happy girl and she’s probably 20-30 kilos heavier than last prep. The feedback I get off my rider is very, very positive.”

The stable aimed Modella at the $10 million Golden Eagle and group 1 Queen Of The Turf in her past two campaigns, and it is eyeing another rich target, the $2 million Invitation mare races at Randwick on October 24.

“Last year with Modella we went off a bit early and aimed up a bit too much. This time she can do it, she’s strong enough now,” he said.

“If she goes all right, we’ll definitely be looking at The Invitation.”

Modella was seventh in the Golden Pendant last year after coming from last and a wide draw. Curtis was desperate for a kind barrier this time, and she came up with six of nine. Gun jockey Zac Lloyd, striking at 23.7 per cent in town this season with 18 wins, is aboard again and the combination hoped the better draw would have Modella closer in the run.

“I saw Zac and he’s very excited about the weekend,” Curtis said.

“He said he would love to get a barrier with her because she’s due for one.

“She got a fair way back at Wyong, but where she is, we’ve just got to deal with it.

“We’ve found over the years that when you start trying to change their patterns, it generally doesn’t work. You’ve just got to ride your horse and have her where she’s comfortable.”

Curtis was wary of a class field headed by Chris Waller-trained group 1-winner Lazzura, which was a $2.30 TAB favourite. Modella was $5.50.

He was unsure, meanwhile, of the next target for Sumac, which was seventh last start in the Tea Rose Stakes.

“The track was quite leaderish, so I think her run was better than it looked,” he said.

“She might go to the Flight Stakes, or we might go to something easier. She likes the track a bit softer.”

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