Margot's Deel primed to bounce back to form

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Jason Edwards missed the mark during the Queensland Racing Carnival with his talented sprinter Margot’s Deel, but is confident she can redeem herself at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.

The Deagon-trained Margot’s Deel faces a big drop back in class to a Class 3 Plate over 1600 metres after running in a series of stakes races during the winter.

Margot’s Deel won three of her first five starts for Edwards when he first took over her training last winter, which prompted him to declare she was the best horse he had trained.

Edwards raised the bar during the Queensland Racing Carnival with the four-year-old daughter of Dundeel and she wasn’t disgraced in three stakes races.

She began her winter campaign with a close second in the Military Rose at the Gold Coast in the middle of March before running behind the Kelly Schweida-trained Miss Joelene at Doomben a month later.

“Her run in the Military Rose was amazing and one more hop, she would have won,” Edwards said.

The four-year-old was then beaten by seven lengths in the Listed Brisbane Handicap at Eagle Farm in April.

However, at her next start, she ran a great race and finished a close fourth in the Listed Silk Stocking on May 9 before going down by less than three lengths when seventh in the Group 3 Magic Millions Mile at Doomben two weeks later.

Margot’s Deel is coming off a last start ninth in the Magic Millions National Classic at Eagle Farm on June 6.

“Her winter runs in stakes races have been excellent,” Edwards said.

“She was poorly weighted in those set weights races compared to what she would have carried in a normal handicap.

“She probably never reached the heights we had hoped for, but I wasn’t disappointed with her.”

Edwards accepted with Margot’s Deel for two races at Randwick last Saturday before deciding to stay on home soil for her Eagle Farm assignment.

“I was keen to run her in Sydney last weekend, but the track down there was too wet, so we decided to stay at home,” he said.

While Margot’s Deel hasn’t raced for more than five weeks, Edwards has kept her ticking over with a recent barrier trial when she finished fourth over 1000 metres at Doomben on June 30.

“She’s been in work a long time, but hopefully she should win this race,” Edwards said.

“I’m mindful she hasn’t raced for a while, but I’m trying to give her a kill to get her confidence back before she goes out for a spell.”