Avdulla Looking Forward to Silver Shadow Stakes 2016 Ride

Brenton Avdulla is keen to get back aboard Chris Waller’s up-and-coming filly Omei Sword when she starts favourite first-up on Saturday in Sydney’s 2016 Silver Shadow Stakes.

Jockey Brenton Avdulla is happy to be back aboard Omei Sword first-up in the 2016 Silver Shadow Stakes at Royal Randwick. Photo: Daniel Costello.

One of two headline races on an action packed early Sydney Spring Racing Carnival card at Randwick Racecourse, this year’s $175,000 Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) features a field of 11 three-year-old fillies.

Early favourite in Silver Shadow Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au paying a firming $2.70 for the win is Avdulla’s mount – a beautifully-bred daughter of High Chaparral out of 2009 Thousand Guineas winner Irish Lights – Omei Sword.

Omei Sword attracted one of the highest purchase prices at the 2015 Inglis Australian Easer Yearling Sale when picked up for $675,000 by Waller for Macau-based owner CC Lai.

To date she has won back just $68,025 of that in prize money over her three career runs including the winning debut over 1100m at Rosehill in late February.

Her best run so far was a second to the John O’Shea-trained Calliope, another Silver Shadow Stakes acceptor for this weekend, in the Group 2 Magic Night Stakes (1200m) in March.

Omei Sword had Avdulla aboard for that Group 2 placing before Hong Kong-based Brett Prebble was over for her latest run, a ninth to Yankee Rose in Randwick’s Group 1 Inglis Sires’ (1400m) during ‘The Championships’.

She looked positive in three subsequent trials, including a second behind subsequent Vain Stakes winner Russian Revolution with Avdulla aboard in late July, and a quiet hit-out that Hugh Bowman partnered her for on August 15 over 900m at Rosehill.

This weekend Omei Sword meets Calliope two kilograms better at the weights than in the Magic Night Stakes and with her three trials all on Soft going, she is experienced in the conditions for Saturday.

“She was quite new last time in and was a bit off balance when she got beat by Calliope in the Magic Night but the feel she gave me at the trials suggests she is more mentally switched on,” Avdulla told Racenet.

“I’m really looking forward to riding her again.

“I think she’s improved, her trials have been super. She’s pretty ready to go after a soft trial during the week instead of galloping which seems to work well.

“And a lot of Chris’s horses have been going to the races first-up and winning and then improving so she’s in for a good prep I would say.”

Later spring options are open for Omei Sword who could follow the path of last year’s Silver Shadow Stakes winner Speak Fondly who went on to win Randwick’s $500,000 Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m), or she may head south for a shot at Melbourne’s $500,000 Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) the following Saturday (October 8).

Now is the perfect time to get behind Omei Sword next race online at Ladbrokes.com.au as they are rewarding first-time depositing sign-ups with up to $500 in bonuses (excluding NSW) with use of the code BETBONUS (and other T&Cs).