Tackling an 1800-metre event on racing’s biggest stage at just her third start might wasn’t always Shane Nichols’ plan with Delahra, but this Saturday’s Byerley Handicap is too good an opportunity to pass up.
The two-year-old filly is one of just five acceptors for the $150,000 event that kicks off Flemington’s final meeting of the 2025/26 racing season.
“It’s always a test when you step a two-year-old up to 1800, but she is out of a Cape Blanco mare, who’s a Galileo-line stallion,” Nichols, who trains in partnership with Hayden Black, said.
“There’s a bit of stoutness on a female pedigree and I did feel looking at her physically that she looked like she’ll get a trip.
“I’m not thinking she’s a definite to target an Oaks or anything like that, but I feel she physically looks like a filly that’s going to appreciate a bit of ground being a big-striding, big, rangy filly.”
After finishing fifth over 1125m at Geelong on debut, Delahra was nosed out by Burning Heartz in a 1300m event at Sandown on July 1.
She will be guaranteed a spot in November’s Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) if she does win the Byerley Handicap, which carries a ballot exemption from that race and the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m).
Although the Byerley Handicap is a field of five, after attracting just seven nominations, Nichols praised Racing Victoria and the Victoria Racing Club for programming races of its type.
“Putting your racing hat on, you say they’re not going to get much turnover on the punt and not going to generate a lot of income and they’d probably get a better field and generate more money if they ran it at a mile,” he said.
“But the owners are paying their bills, they’re buying horses and they’ve got an opportunity to get a good earn at Flemington in a race like this.”
Delahra, who will be ridden by Zac Spain, occupies the third line on betting in the Byerley Handicap, for which Taj Rossi Series Final placegetter Ko Phangan is odds-on favourite from Ballarat maiden winner Notified ($3.60), the only horse in field to have won a race.
