She's A Hustler's Makybe Diva Stakes prospects look brighter

Trainer Grahame Begg is optimistic that She's A Hustler has moved past any lingering fatigue from her previous battles with Pride Of Jenni as the mare heads towards Flemington.

The mare, She's A Hustler, is set to contest the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) on Saturday, and Begg is relieved that Pride Of Jenni will not be a competitor in this event.

Begg believes that the three encounters between Pride Of Jenni and She's A Hustler during the autumn and winter in Sydney and Brisbane may have impacted his mare, who is also nominated for the Caulfield Cup, the Cox Plate, and the Melbourne Cup.

"She was thwarted by wet tracks, and I think she might have had a bit of Pride Of Jenni hangover," Begg said.

"Her first three runs back last preparation, she was in three hard run races."

"It might have gutted her a bit. Instead of getting in a race where you could flow and go through your gears, each race was a high tempo."

With the field now reduced to 10 following the scratching of Birdman, Buckaroo, and Aeliana, this level of intensity will not be present on Saturday.

Begg explained that the Makybe Diva Stakes on Saturday aligns well with She's A Hustler's preparation for the Caulfield Cup.

The subsequent race on the agenda after Saturday will be the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 3, with the Caulfield Cup scheduled for two weeks thereafter.

"It's such a tight turnaround after winter," Begg commented.

"The right race for her is probably the Underwood over 1800 metres, but it's only two weeks, two weeks (to the Caulfield Cup)."

"Going that way, you don't get to have a three-week buffer."

"It's a very tight schedule, unless you started early in something like the Heatherlie, but she looks to be tracking nicely."

"She's got good residual fitness from Brisbane and having that has allowed us to kick off here as she raced right up until the middle of June and then she was able to have a bit of a break up there."

Two trials at Caulfield Heath have been completed by She's A Hustler to get ready for her Saturday comeback, winning her most recent trial over 1400m.

"She took enormous improvement from her first trial to her second," Begg elaborated.

"And her coat is really starting to move now."

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