Caulfield beckons for a resurgent Biancelli

Although the barrier draw is not ideal, trainer Michael Kent Jnr believes Biancelli possesses sufficient qualities to achieve a significantly better result at Caulfield this coming Saturday.

The formerly promising filly is set to compete in the $130,000 Tobin Brothers Celebrating Lives F&M BM84 Handicap over 1100 metres, aiming to break her winless streak that has extended for over a year.

This four-year-old daughter of Cosmic Force enters the race second-up, following a third-place finish in Adelaide on May 30 over 1050 metres, where she carried 57.5kg. Prior to that, she finished fourth in the Listed Black Pearl Stakes (1200m) at Geelong on January 3.

The mare, who carries the second-widest gate in a field now comprising 12 runners after Grassmere Diamond's withdrawal, has Kent pleased with the slight increase in distance and the 1kg weight drop.

The Flying Star Syndications-owned mare stayed race-ready with a 800m jumpout at Cranbourne on June 15, which she comfortably won.

"She gave way for race fitness first-up, she's four weeks fitter now and had a tick-over trial between that went well," Kent, in partnership with Mick Price, explained.

"There are a few positives for Saturday. She's going to present much fitter, I think 1100 is a nice journey for her and she's going to drop in weight.

"We're hopeful more than confident, but I think she'll run a much better race than she did first up."

The Black Pearl Stakes was the first occasion Biancelli did not finish in the money. She had previously achieved three consecutive victories to kick off her career, with her last triumph being the third win in a benchmark 64 race for three-year-olds on the Caulfield Heath track on May 7 of the previous year.

Her record since then includes just four starts, featuring two narrow second placings in Saturday grade races at the commencement of her last campaign. Kent remains optimistic that further wins are on the horizon for the mare.

"She's had a couple of little niggles and we've given her time, but I think she's still a mare on the up," he remarked.

Biancelli, to be ridden by Beau Mertens, is currently in a betting tussle with Delicate Lady and Takeko for the second line of betting, trailing the decided favourite, Next Stop Iowa.

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