Facile knocking on the door for stakes breakthrough

Facile has had her share of near misses during a limited racing career, but the filly’s physical improvement might finally tip the scales in her favour where it matters most.

The daughter of Trapeze Artist resumes in the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday, one of three runners for trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou along with Arctic Glamour and Ballroom Bella.

Facile’s sole win came at a holiday Monday meeting at Warwick Farm last spring, defeating subsequent Group 1 Thousand Guineas winner Joliestar.

But she is arguably unlucky her record doesn’t read significantly better.

In six other starts, the filly has finished runner-up four times, twice going down in photo finishes and beaten less than a half-length in the other two, including when second at Listed level at Caulfield.

Ryan says she has grown into a stronger horse and he is hoping that might be the edge she needs in a tight finish.

“She should have nearly won at Caulfield, she just got a bit lost around there the first time,” Ryan said.

“But she has furnished heaps. She’s bigger, stronger, wider. She’s still not a huge mare but she has done well.

“She’s fit and well, going well and if she is good enough, she can win.”

Facile returns to the races for the first time since finishing among the tailenders in the Desirable Stakes (1400m) at Flemington in November when she was galloped on and pulled up lame.

Ryan said she retained a solid base of residual fitness and as such, he had no qualms stepping her straight out over 1200-metres on Saturday off the back of one barrier trial.

However, Facile won’t follow the traditional fillies’ path onto the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) and will instead be kept to shorter sprints.

“There’s the Fireball (Quality), and later on you’ve got the Arrowfield (Sprint) or we might look interstate with her,” Ryan said.

“But at the moment we’re only concentrating on Saturday, and we’ll worry about it after that.”

Ryan says Ballroom Bella has also matured and he expects a bold return from her, albeit acknowledging the race is a steep rise in grade, while Arctic Glamour resumes after a promising spring.

He is adamant he hasn’t given up on Arctic Glamour developing into a middle-distance filly, despite two unplaced 1600m runs.

“After she ran in the Callander-Presnell, everyone said she failed to run the journey, but she was ridden too close,” he said.

“She has proven before you have to ride her quiet.

“In the Thousand Guineas, she was a victim of circumstance the way the race was run but she found the line well.

“I reckon she will get to a mile-and-a-quarter (2000 metres) and I’d like to aim her towards the Vinery (Stud Stakes).

“She has come back well, trialled well but she will improve with the run under her belt.”