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Alabama Lass will be out to replicate the feats of stable predecessor Bounding when she heads to Ellerslie next week to tackle the $700,000 Group 1 Sistema Railway (1200m).
Bounding took out the 2014 running of the sprint feature after finishing runner-up in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), and it's a sense of déjà vu with Alabama Lass who posted the same result in the Riccarton feature last November.
Trainers Ken and Bev Kelso are hoping that is a good omen for the Railway, which has moved from its traditional New Year's Day slot to the Karaka Millions meeting on January 25, and their mood was further buoyed by Alabama Lass' 4-1/4 length victory in her 1000m trial at Matamata on Tuesday.
"I am really happy with her trial, it was a nice day out," Ken Kelso said.
"She had an exhibition gallop the other day at Te Aroha, and a nice trial today, so I am very happy with the way she is going.
"She was very unlucky in the 1000 Guineas and we have set her for the Railway, and she gets in with 52 kilos. That's the plan at this stage all going well.
"It is very similar to what we did with Bounding, she actually ran second in the 1000 Guineas as well."
Alabama Lass has been a revelation for her Matamata conditioners since winning by 9-1/2 lengths when on debut at her home track last February, going on to win the Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m), with her only two defeats coming at the hands of arch-rival Captured By Love in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes (1200m) and 1000 Guineas.
The daughter of Alabama Express will be out for vengeance in the Railway and TAB bookmakers favour her to turn the tables on her foe, installing her as a $2.60 favourite in the futures market, ahead of Crocetti ($5) and Captured By Love ($6).
Meanwhile, Kelso was pleased to report that his multiple Group One winner Legarto has returned to work after she strained a muscle following her trial victory at Te Rapa in August, which put an end to a potentially lucrative spring campaign.
"At this stage we are taking one stage at a time, but she is back at the track and back in work," he said. "Everything looks good, so we will box on, but where we end up time will tell. We certainly won't be rushing her."
The Railway Stakes meeting is on the World Pool schedule of feature race cards with participating races on the day announced next week.