Sally McKay thinks a lot of Indiana Pearl which is why the filly is on trial tomorrow at Ascot Park for bigger and better things.
The Invercargill trainer has the two listed 3yr-old features at Riccarton next month in mind for Indiana Pearl.
The $50,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Stakes (1600m) on April 11 and the $50,000 Warstep Stakes (2000m) a week later are an obvious autumn target for any progressive 3yr-old filly, and McKay would love to be there with the daughter of Battle Paint.
''She's a big, strong filly and has a fantastic action on her so that's my plan, but we couldn't go up there at this stage off the one run we had,'' McKay said.
''If everything goes right, we'll be there with bells on.
''It's just to see how much she learnt from this run and how much her brain can take in.''
The learning process was very much alive when she won on debut at Cromwell on March 1, although McKay hopes the drop back from 1400m to 1200m this week will iron out some kinks.
''She's got a lot of ability but a lot to learn,'' she said.
''From what you saw at Cromwell, she's a wee bit erratic, so the 1200m, the pace will be on, and she won't get to the front so easily.''
The $12,000 rating 65 Pearl Series race has attracted a strong field, including The Theme, Coulee and Achoo, while McKay also has Tinka Tinka in the race.
''She's been pulling too hard. I like the horse, but she's got to start playing the game - she's just too strong and too erratic.''
Hermione (race 5) will get helpful weight relief in the rating 85 1200m with McKay's apprentice jockey, Hayley Bennet, claiming 4kg to bring the weight down to 53kg.
McKay said Bennet had been slightly unwell during the week, but the 53kg should not be a problem.
Bennet is aboard debutante Rock Solid in a 1200m maiden, who will have one run before heading to the paddock.
''She's had two workouts for two wins - she's done everything right so far. She is going out for a spell after she races on Saturday because she needs to go out and develop.
''We'll know more after Saturday because the track is going to have a bit of cut in it. You'd have to have her in your calculations anyway.''
• One fact sticks in your mind when summing up the chances of Selfie in tomorrow's $225,000 Manawatu Sires Produce at Awapuni, The New Zealand Herald reports.
It is the final 130m of the juvenile event he finished a close second to Rocanto in at Matamata last start on February 21.
Selfie started favourite in that race, but appeared to simply walk out of the barriers to land a clear last.
With only six in the race, that disadvantage is not quite the same as in a 14-horse field, but the ground still has to be made up.
Selfie did a magnificent job of sprinting at the talented Rocanto late, but missed narrowly.
The crowning glory is the No 1 barrier, while Rocanto has to contend with the outside of the field in gate No 13.
At this level and in this field that should equate to an advantage of several lengths.
• Rising Romance has been scratched from the group 1 BMW at Rosehill tomorrow with a foot complaint, AAP reports.
The Caulfield Cup runner-up was ruled out after an examination by a Racing New South Wales veterinarian yesterday.
She had pulled up with a sore heel following her defeat in the Epona Stakes last weekend.
