A strong debut from Testa Rossa two-year-old Cultural Dancer at Warwick Farm on Wednesday would go a long way to confirming a late autumn carnival stakes mission for the filly.
Cultural Dancer will step out for the first time in the Australian Turf Club Handicap (1200m) on the back of two barrier trial wins.
“What we do with her will depend on what she does tomorrow,” trainer Steve Englebrecht said told Ozeform.
“There is a nice race towards the end of the carnival. That’s the Keith MacKay Quality but she could also end up in a maiden at Wyong after this. It will all just depend how she goes tomorrow.”
The Listed Keith MacKay Quality (1200m) for two-year-old fillies is run on April 21 at Randwick and was won by Streama last year.
Cultural Dancer’s latest trial victory at Warwick Farm was won in sharp time.
“She made good improvement from her first trial to her second trial and was pretty professional,” Englebrecht said.
“She was a bit tardy away but drawing out wide tomorrow (barrier nine) will help her in that respect.
“We’ll get a bit of a guide on how good she is as it’s not a bad field.”
Cultural Dancer will be ridden by Jessie Whipp who has partnered the filly in her two trials.
The daughter of Testa Rossa is the only unraced juvenile in the field of nine which is not lost on Englebrecht.
“Trials are one thing. You can show good ability but race day is another story,” he said.
“I think if she gets beaten tomorrow it will be through a lack of match practice.
“She’s the only unraced horse in the race so the others have a bit of a head start on her and she has drawn wide.
“In saying that she has shown good speed and she should be there somewhere.”
Wednesday’s field includes the Joe Pride-trained Brave Soul who has been freshened since finishing seventh in the Group Two Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) last month.
Brave Soul also ran in the Listed Widden Stakes earlier this year, finishing fourth.
