Sunrays on trial for Sydney trip

By Glenn Davis

Star filly Sunrays will be under the microscope for a trip to Sydney for next month’s Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes at Randwick when she makes her comeback at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Sunrays, who was a contender for Queensland Two-Year-Old of the Year honours last season, resumes in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap over 1000 metres.

The daughter of Hellbent was being aimed at the Princess Series in Sydney last spring but plans were changed after falling behind in her preparation.

“She had a foot abscess and missed an important barrier trial before she ran second at her last start at Doomben,” Sunrays' trainer Kelly Schweida said.

“She pulled up a bit big after the Doomben run so I thought going to 1400 metres and then 1600 metres in Sydney would be too hard on her so I pulled the pin.”

Schweida was in sensational form during the recent Magic Millions carnival as he won the $3 million Sunlight with Grafterburners and the $500,000 The Wave with Miss Joelene.

Schweida isn’t looking too far ahead with Sunrays if she heads to Sydney and will be guided by her Eagle Farm performance before giving the green light.

“I want to get through this race at Eagle Farm first before we decide about Sydney,” he said.

“If she doesn’t go then we’ve still got the winter carnival here.”

Sunrays - a Cejay Graham mount – has pleased Schweida since coming back into work.

She's had two barrier trials to prepare for her first-up assignment, finishing second in both hit-outs at Eagle Farm and Deagon this month.

“She’s coming along well and is doing everything right,” Schweida said.

Sunrays has continued on from her two-year-old days when she licked her feed tin dry after each run.

“She’s a super eater and a big filly which helps,” Schweida said.

Schweida is optimistic Sunrays can one day win at the highest level to join his previous Group 1 champions Nova Star and Miss Cover Girl.

Nova Star gave Schweida his first Group 1 win in the Tatt’s Tiara (formerly Winter Stakes) at Eagle Farm in 2007 while Miss Cover Girl won the same race in 2016.

“Hopefully, one day she can eventually win a Group 1,” he said.

Sunrays is a great grand daughter of former top sprinter Staging and was not offered for sale as a yearling by her owner and breeder Peter Moran.

Staging also was owned by Moran but did not win at the highest level from 15 starts.

But, she did finish second twice in the then Group 1 Sires’ Produce Stakes at Eagle Farm in 1997 and second in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 in 1998.