Promising juvenile Steel City is Melbourne-bound with co-trainer David Eustace revealing the stable is keen to target the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes.
The filly has had the misfortune of bumping into a pair of above-average two-year-olds in Sydney, finishing runner-up to subsequent Canonbury Stakes winner Red Resistance on debut and filling the same position behind the new Golden Slipper favourite Learning To Fly in the Widden Stakes.
Both Eustace and training partner Ciaron Maher believe the $2 million Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Sandown on February 25 shapes as the right race for Steel City with Eustace also flagging a key gear change.
“Ciaron said straight away after that race (Widden Stakes) that he was pretty keen to bring her down for the Diamond, so that’s the plan at this stage, and (to) possibly tinker around with a bit of head gear,” Eustace told Sky Racing radio.
“She is still learning a bit off the bridle. On both occasions she looked like she was going to go and win the race and just wavered a touch under pressure.
“We hope some head gear will help with that, and a bit of racing too.”
Steel City is on the second line of Blue Diamond betting at $6 behind unbeaten Godolphin colt Barber ($5) and is rated $11 in Golden Slipper markets.
Eustace also confirmed beautifully bred I Am Invincible filly Kundalini will have her next start in the Inglis Millennium (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday week following her game second to Don Corleone on debut last month.
“She ran the fastest 200 (metres) of the day that day and she is a filly we hold in high regard,” Eustace said.