Grahame Begg hopes to learn a little a more about his unbeaten filly Passive Aggressive when she lines up at Flemington.
Passive Aggressive runs in the ATA Trainers’ Trust Handicap (1100m) on Saturday following victories at Werribee and Pakenham.
Begg is using Saturday’s race as a measure of the filly’s ability and whether she will be up to running in the Listed A R Creswick Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on June 18.
A daughter of Fastnet Rock, Passive Aggressive carries the colours of Jonathan Munz and Begg said with an expensive filly like her, it was up to him to try and get ‘black type’ on her breeding page.
“We’re putting her in open grade now, but she’s ticked the boxes along the way,” Begg said.
“This will be a different style of race, a different style of pressure than what she’s experienced in her first two starts.
“She’s coming 100 metres in trip also, but we feel going up the straight, that won’t be a worry.”
Passive Aggressive has led throughout in her only two appearances to date, but Begg is adamant the filly will be better ridden with a sit.
Begg explained circumstances dictated that Passive Aggressive led at Werribee and Pakenham.
“At her first start we said to ride her like she was the best horse in the race, and she was allowed to roll forward,” Begg said.
“Then last time she drew an inside gate with the rail out at Pakenham and we thought the same scenario, ride her like the best horse.
“But we got taken on in the lead and she had to absorb that but then the impressive part was the kick she showed in the straight.
“We’ve always felt that if she had something to follow, she’d let down nicely.
“We’ve always trained her that way and she’s been able to pick up the others in her work, so we think she’ll be well suited ridden that way in a race.”