Stakes options beckon for Ryan and Alexiou youngster

The Percy Sykes Stakes is among the potential targets for Trapeze Artist filly Pleasure Queen after she made a winning debut on Randwick’s Kensington track.

Co-trainer Sterling Alexiou praised the filly’s significant improvement over the past few months, especially after she showed little promise early in her preparation.

“She was going nowhere three months ago, and she is really starting to impress us,” Alexiou said.

“She has just been steadily improving all preparation. She has come a really long way in the last six or seven weeks.

“She is still pretty raw, but she’s got a bit of a motor there.”

Starting as a $3.30 equal favorite, Pleasure Queen finished strongly to defeat Scrumptious ($4) by a length in Wednesday’s 1000m race, with Hellabella ($9) another long neck behind in third.

Alexiou said they would consider next month’s Group 2 Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) for the winner, or possibly the Clarendon Stakes (1300m) at Hawkesbury at the end of the autumn carnival.

“She is going to be a lot better next time around, but she is handling everything with aplomb and heading the right way,” he said.

“She’s won one now, she is probably going to have to go to something like a Percy Sykes, or whether we back off her and go for something like Hawkesbury, the 1300 metres there.”

The Ciaron Maher-trained Stormland ($8) won the Ranvet Handicap (1000m) for the juvenile colts and geldings and is also set to play a role during the carnival.

Maher plans to take his time before deciding on the next steps for the youngster, who he says has always shown potential but needed time to develop.

“He has always been quite natural, and we’ve just had to wait a little bit for him,” Maher said.

“He does have some options now he went there and won and looked to have a little bit in hand. We’ll see how he comes through.”

Maher was also pleased with the effort of stablemate Navy Pilot, who started as a $4 favorite with betting sites and finished strongly for fifth after overcoming a wide draw.

“He’s hit the line as good as any horse in the race. Both horses have got bright futures,” Maher said.