Unbeaten filly Fieldelo on trial for stakes target in Flemington test
Many trainers have to wait a lot longer than two years for a horse like Fieldelo.
Former picnic rider Toby Lake will get a guide on whether he has a stakes contender after Fieldelo runs in Saturday's fifth heat of the Creswick Sprint Series (1100m) at Flemington.
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The three-year-old will be on trial for a start in the Listed AR Creswick Stakes (1200m) at Flemington early next month should she perform up to expectations in her maiden city assignment.
'Saturday just determines her next step, whether we go to the Creswick Final in two weeks or whether we wait for something else thereafter,' Lake said.
'We're going to learn a lot about her on Saturday but she's going to line up in really good order.
'We don't know where her ceiling is.'
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Lake has spaced Fieldelo's two runs.
The Deep Field filly won on debut at Kilmore last November but blitzed her opposition when a seven-length winner when resuming at Bendigo on May 30.
'It worked out there was a soft option at Bendigo for her so we went there,' Lake said.
'She's a young horse and as we saw at her first start, she did a lot wrong but was still able to win.
'We just thought, if we took her to the softest option and she did it again, she might get away with it, but she blew them away.'
Trainer Toby Lake with Harry Coffey after Fieldelo's easy first-up win at Bendigo last month. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images
Lake, who received his licence to prepare his small team at his Bendigo base less than two years ago, said Fieldelo arrived at his stable needing some work before she got to the races.
'She came to me a bit over 12 months ago and she was half broken in,' Lake said.
'The breakers had a bit of difficulty with her and through a friend and good client, Mark Schiavello, she arrived at my stables basically with the plan to just get her back on track.
'She needed to have some education and get her career on the right path.'
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Lake said Fieldelo learned quickly with the trainer having the benefit of getting to know the sprinter from riding her in daily trackwork.
He said Fieldelo's long education process had started to show, with a constantly improving attitude to her racing aiding her development.
'I could see very early on that she was a very sharp filly and she was a point-and-shoot type,' Lake said.
'I only had to show her something once and she'd pick it up so we let her come around.
'She was a little bit hot and cantankerous when she first started but she's starting to really enjoy her racing as she showed at Bendigo.
'We just nurtured her along and gave the best start to life we could and she's ready for the next step.'
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