By Glenn Davis
Trainer Les Kelly is looking to the heavens to boost under-rated filly Dixyville’s hopes of a Black-Type victory in the Princess Stakes at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.
Dixyville, a Ryan Plumb mount, has drawn barrier nine in the 1600-metre Listed feature and will be chasing her fourth win from seven starts.
The daughter of Warhead is owned by prominent racing and breeding identity Les Cowell, who talked Kelly into returning to training in July, 2016 following a self-imposed 18-month exile.
Kelly, who trained his first winner in 1976, now has 30 horses in work at the Gold Coast.
Dixyville will be stepping up to 1600 metres for the first time but Kelly is confident she’ll acquit herself well.
“What she has done to date is a bonus as this is still her first preparation and she’ll come back better next campaign,” Kelly said.
“I’m sure she’ll run the trip as she gives every indication she will and she’s bred to run a journey.
“Les (Cowell) raced her sire Warhead who has thrown some good sprinters including Stan Johnston’s Executed while War Baby has shown she can stay by winning over much further.”
Dixyville is coming off a decisive four length win over rival Skate To Paris at the Gold Coast on March 31 which followed her failure in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Jewel at the same track two weeks earlier.
“Her last win over Skate To Paris was very good but it was on a heavy track which suited her,” Kelly said.
“I hope it gets to a heavy track again but she is versatile as she won her maiden on a good track in December.”
Kelly is reluctant to talk about a winter carnival campaign should Dixyville win again.
“She grows another leg in the wet so I’m hoping for more rain with the track currently in the soft range,” he said.
“She’s going well and will run an honest race but I’m not getting carried away with her chances and the winter carnival.
“I’ll see how she comes through this race first before looking at anything during the carnival.”
Plumb has ridden Dixyville in all bar her first race start when Jim Orman was aboard when she finished ninth, less than three lengths away in a maiden at the Gold Coast in November last year.
“Ryan is a good rider and puts a lot of work into riding trackwork for me,” Kelly said.
“He’s been riding for me for over 12 months but because of his weight problems he rides mostly at the Gold Coast.”
Racing Queensland webnews April 12