On the comeback trail from injury, Mizzy will head to the Expressway Stakes considerably lighter than the last time she raced and trainer Anthony Cummings says that is a great sign.
Having tipped the scales at around 530kg when she made her only appearance of 2020 with a disappointing performance in the Sheraco Stakes, Mizzy is significantly trimmer heading into Saturday.
She missed last autumn due to a muscle strain, an issue that was still inhibiting her in the spring and caused her not to stretch out at trackwork.
“She’s about 25 kilos lighter than when she raced last time,” Cummings said
“She wasn’t doing enough or active enough because she was holding back.
“She’s back to normal and that shows. Now she is putting effort into her work.”
Mizzy had great form as a spring four-year-old, posting a hat-trick of Group wins in mares’ grade before consecutive thirds in the 2019 Silver Eagle and Golden Eagle.
She has won her two lead-up trials, the latest when she controlled her heat and went to the line under her own steam to defeat Prague and Dreamforce.
While she has raced just once in 14 months, she has been in and out of work and Cummings says fitness should not be an issue.
“She is forward enough to be effective. The trials tell you that, she won in nice time both times and she wasn’t really extended either day,” he said.
“Her gallops at home have been very good and she’s there to run a nice race.
“She is well enough and good enough to win.”
Rosehill was a soft six on Friday and Cummings hoped the weather would hold for stablemate Street Dancer, who is scheduled to resume in the Rosehill Bowling Club Handicap (1400m).
The Gloaming Stakes runner-up has failed twice on genuinely rain-affected ground and won’t run if the surface deteriorates.
“If the track stays as it is we will probably go, but if the track got heavy we would wait until next week,” Cummings said.
Cummings nominated the Group Two Autumn Classic (1800m) at Caulfield on Blue Diamond Stakes day as the main aim for Street Dancer, although his program will be weather dependant.
“With him it’s about weather. I’ve got to try to find a dry place to be so we will leave all the options open,” he said.