Iphimedia targets early filly’s races

Iphimedia may only have a Terang maiden win to her credit, but the filly’s trainers think enough of her to chase an early season stakes race win.

Prepared by Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock, Iphimedia tackles the Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1100m) first-up at Caulfield on Saturday.

Iphimedia scored a debut win at Terang in April before Griffiths and de Kock set about trying to land some ‘black type’ before the filly turned three.

Placings followed in two stakes races in Adelaide, finishing second in the Listed Without Fear Stakes and second in the Group 3 David Coles Stakes (1200m), both times by a short margin.

With a bit more luck, de Kock said the filly’s latest effort before a break could already see her as a winner in Group company.

Iphimedia finished third in a recent Cranbourne trial which pleased the training partnership with de Kock believing she is over-priced in the market.

But de Kock also knows Iphimedia must step it up a notch on Saturday.

“She’s a good filly. I don’t think she should be discounted,” de Kock said.

“I think she’ll be in the play for sure.

“She was a little bit unlucky over in Adelaide. She should have nearly won her last start over there.

“We’ll see how she handles this big league in Melbourne having raced over there in Adelaide. It’s a big step up, and she’ll tell us where she heads.”

De Kock expects the daughter of Exceed And Excel to be restricted to short-course racing for the immediate future, although he said Iphimedia may stretch out later in her career.

“She’s a speedy horse. She’s not going to stay much,” de Kock said.

“Maybe in time she might be a seven to eight (1400-1600m) furlong horse max, but for now I think she’s all sprinter.

“If she gets through these couple, we may look at freshening for later in the Spring Carnival.

“We’re trying to win one of these early races, but everyone is trying to do the same, get in early.”