The barrier battles for Belle Miraaj at Gore on Saturday have quickly become a distant memory for her trainer, Gay Robinson, as she eyes the Dunedin Guineas on January 31.
The classy Iffraaj filly overcame a slow start in Saturday's Gore Guineas to win the listed 1335m test for 3yr-olds. Robinson said Belle Miraaj was enjoying a day in the paddock yesterday.
''She's come through well.
''She ate up and she's happy out in the paddock with fresh grass - she's just gorgeous.''
Gorgeous might not have been the word Robinson was muttering on Saturday when the filly was proving difficult to load.
Belle Miraaj is a ''brainy filly'' and Robinson thinks she might have got wound up when she started to get led into a stall next to her intended barrier before coming back out.
''She'd never done that before - I was just about having a convulsion. I wanted to run around and grab her.''
Provided there are no problems in the next 10 days, Belle Miraaj will start in the Dunedin Guineas (1400m) before aiming for the third leg of the southern Triple Crown, the Southland Guineas, on February 14.
Robinson praised the efforts of jockey Jamie Bates, who did not panic when Belle Miraaj was slow away - a departure from her usual barrier manners.
''Jamie did a really good job of riding her,'' she said.
''She doesn't usually miss the jump like that but she must have been pretty upset. He just kept cool and didn't rush her.
The extra speed injected into the race by leaders Querer and Signify also suited Belle Miraaj's racing pattern.
''She's a big filly with a big stride and she doesn't suit the stop-start type of races.''
