Trainer Danny O’Brien and the connections of Sass Appeal have spring Group 1 aspirations with the about to turn four-year-old.
Sass Appeal kicks of her campaign in the VRC Membership Renewals Open (1410m) at Flemington on Saturday.
A veteran of five starts, Sass Appeal was beaten on debut at Sandown before going on a four-run winning streak which culminated in victory in the Group 2 Kewney Stakes (1600m) at Flemington in March.
O’Brien made the difficult decision to pull up stumps following that win with spring in mind.
Already in the planning are Group 1 Caulfield handicaps, the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) and the Toorak Handicap (1600m) with the Empire Rose (1600m) at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival also a potential target.
O’Brien said the daughter of So You Think had benefitted from her break.
“She went to the paddock early in the autumn after the first Saturday in March as she had raced through the summer, so we weren’t keen to do too much more with her,” O’Brien said.
“The benefit of going out early was we were able to have her ready for the early part of the spring as we are hoping to get her to a Sir Rupert Clarke or a Toorak Handicap.
“She needs to win a race or two between now and those races to get her rating up to that sort of level and this looks a good starting point on Saturday.”
O’Brien also had Sass Appeal entered for the Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) on Saturday’s card but reasoned the 1400m was a better trip.
Sass Appeal also has 1kg less (53kg) in Saturday’s race as against the weight she would have been asked to carry in the shorter contest.
“She already has a good record at the 1400 (metres),” O’Brien said.
“She’s won twice at the course and distance, so we thought we would stick with what she does best and is already proven at.
“It’s a lower rating race than what the Aurie’s Star is, a Group 3, and she is a lot better handicapped in this.”
Following Saturday’s race, O’Brien is planning to head to another benchmark 100 contest over 1400m at Caulfield on August 29.
“There’s only time to have two runs before potentially running in the Sir Rupert Clarke,” O’Brien said.
“She can run this weekend and then go four weeks to Memsie Stakes Day to a similar race there, another 1400-metre at Caulfield and then it’s a three-week gap to the Sir Rupert Clarke.
“After that it’s potentially the Toorak Handicap into the Empire Rose.”
Despite the huge prize money and the recently upgraded status to Group 1 of The Golden Eagle in Sydney, O’Brien’s preference is to remain in Melbourne.
