Trainer Thomas Carberry was the toast of Ballarat when Strictly Business won the VRC Oaks at Flemington.
That win 12 months ago provided Carberry with his biggest success, and the Ballarat based horseman hopes to back for the same Group 1 contest over 2500m at Flemington on November 5.
Carberry has Refuse To Curtsy heading towards the Oaks and the filly happens to be a half-sister to last year’s winner.
As part of her program towards the Oaks, Refuse To Curtsy runs in the Beverly Rooftop Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on Wednesday while the filly also holds an entry in the Ethereal Stakes (2000m) on Saturday.
The weather, and more importantly, the ground, will have a final say in where Refuse To Curtsy runs as Carberry wants ‘sound ground’ for the filly.
“We won’t get to run off that handicap mark again if she was successful in the Ethereal, but that is probably getting ahead of ourselves,” Carberry said.
“She’s in great form and has been working well.”
Refuse To Curtsy won a Kilmore 1600m maiden at her last start and rises to a benchmark 70 contest on Wednesday.
Carberry has adopted a different training regime with Refuse To Curtsy to the one he adopted with Strictly Business last year.
Strictly Business opened her campaign with a Ballarat maiden win on October 24, went to the Wakeful Stakes eight days later before going on to claim the Oaks.
Refuse To Curtsy was second-up when successful at Kilmore and Carberry is planning on running the filly in the Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 31 in the lead-up to the Oaks.
“She’s from a good staying family and she’s showing all the right signs,” Carberry said.
“She won her maiden quite nicely and after this start, I think we’d go the way of the Wakeful.”
Carberry, who rides a lot of his work, is sidelined through injury, but is enjoying the thrill of being a Melbourne Spring Carnival player with Strictly Business Melbourne Cup bound.
“A horse kicked me at the top of the femur and it’s a 12-week process and I’m about four weeks into it,” Carberry said.
“It absolutely fantastic to be a part of the spring and to have a couple of horses that may be a part of it, we’re all enjoying the ride.”
