Image: Bruno Cannatelli
Fresh from owning Saturday’s Sandown card, Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have readjusted their sights to Monday’s Mornington program, where they have one of the shortest-priced favourites of the day in Mrs Chrissie.
The daughter of Per Incanto will chase a maiden city win in the $60,000 Ron Hutchinson BM70 Handicap (1200m) for mares.
It will be her first start since finishing fifth at her Flemington debut on May 20, which followed an 1100m Ballarat win, and Eustace expects the four-year-old who has led at her two wins to date will appreciate the tight Mornington track.
“She’s a nice filly, she’s a bit quirky and her form suggests that as well,” Eustace said.
“Her performance at Ballarat was really good and I think she’ll be better around a bend.”
Mrs Chrissie began awkwardly at Flemington but recovered to fight on and beaten 1-3/4 lengths by Sigh.
That was not the first time the start has been costly for Mrs Chrissie and Eustace said she had been the subject of some work to ensure she steps more cleanly.
She will start from the second-widest barrier in the field, which Eustace said has its advantages for jockey Carleen Hefel.
“Being drawn wide is OK, she’ll be in a little bit less time and she’ll be able to ping and come across,” Eustace.
“If she jumps, she’ll be hard to beat.”
Maher and Eustace lifted their Victorian city winners tally to 87 with a career-best five winners at Sandown on Saturday.
They have representatives in six of the eight races at Mornington, a meeting that carries metropolitan status, including single-figure-odds chances Hot Toddy (Race 1) and Warm Smile (Race 4).
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