Madrina to tick off Melbourne start in the Quezette Stakes

Lightly raced Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained filly Madrina is no stranger to travel.

Having raced in Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane in her five starts to date, Madrina will tick off a run in Melbourne when she contests the Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

In those five starts, Madrina has missed a place just once, which was first-up when starting her most recent campaign in the Listed Dalrello Stakes (1000m) at Eagle Farm in early May.

Madrina returned to her Randwick stable following that outing where she led before running second at Canterbury over 1100m ahead of again stepping out over 1100m on a heavy track at Randwick, leading throughout to claim a victory at Randwick on June 8.

Waterhouse and Bott elected to freshen the filly before targeting some of the early three-year-old filly’s races ahead of the main part of the spring.

Madrina had a jump-out at Flemington on August 5 as part of her preparation for Saturday’s return.

“She didn’t have too long out off the back of her win in the winter, and she is stepping up quite a bit in grade, but she did win well that day,” Bott said.

“We wanted to get her down to Melbourne with a bit of residual fitness on her side and try to catch some of those fillies resuming having had a run on them.

“She had a nice jump out down there and looked quite sharp and if there is any rain around, that will suit her as well.

“She is a nice filly, but she is going to have to keep improving to get up to that grade.

“Hopefully with that bit of fitness on her side, is her chance.”