Light Fingers Stakes and Surround Stakes targets for French Endeavour

A desire to get a head start on the elite three-year-old fillies has prompted Matthew Smith to kick off French Endeavour’s campaign in benchmark grade this weekend.

However, he doesn’t expect the talented filly to be there for long and is keen to see her return to black-type racing sooner rather than later.

French Endeavour resumes in Saturday’s Expect It All This Autumn At ATC Handicap (1200m) and provided she performs to expectations, she will then chime in to the better fillies races.

Both the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Randwick in two weeks and Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) a fortnight later are firmly in Smith’s sights.

“We thought we’d get a run under her belt and then go into the Light Fingers and then the Surround and we’ll see where we go from there,” Smith said.

“She is a big strong girl, a big strong filly now, she’s a beauty.

“She’s had a prep where she has been pushed through a bit and had a bit of hard racing, that should hold her in good stead this time in.”

French Endeavour contested three of the four legs of the Princess Series as a spring three-year-old, including a competitive fourth behind Tiz Invincible in the Tea Rose Stakes (1400m).

While Smith expects her to improve as she is stretched out in distance, he also believes her class can carry her a long way on Saturday.

“Rosehill is probably not her track, but she’s a quality filly in a (benchmark) 72, so she should run really well,” he said.

“But 1400 and beyond will be her go.”

French Endeavour has the inside gate and has performed well fresh at her only two campaigns, finishing second to subsequent Group 1 placegetter Bases Loaded on debut and breaking her maiden first-up at Warwick Farm in July.

Smith will also have Anythink Goes in the Breed 4 Speed With Kia Ora Stallions (1500m) Handicap, the gelding looking for a change of fortune after finishing runner-up at his past two starts.