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By Ray Hickson

Talented mare Arctic Glamour will choose her own adventure this spring based on her first-up performance in the Group 2 $300,000 Darley Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.

Trainer Sterling Alexiou (Pic: Grant Guy)

Co-trainer Sterling Alexiou said the four-year-old has appreciated a good spell following a bruised heel that brought what he describes as a “patchy” autumn campaign to a close in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes.

While there’s improvement to come from Arctic Glamour from a fitness perspective Alexiou, who co-trains with Gerald Ryan, said the Missile provides an opportunity to test the waters for what might be ahead.

“We didn’t have any real goals for her, it was just get her up and fit and see what races were about,’’ he said.

“You’d like to think even not fully screwed down she should be able to run well in that race if she’s going to be running in some decent races this spring.”

Arctic Glamour, $5.50 with TAB on Friday, emerged last spring when she progressed from a maiden win to defeat Joliestar in the Listed Reginald Allen Stakes on Everest Day.

She was beaten three lengths by Joliestar in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas and it's felt the quick turnaround into the autumn may have affected her form earlier this year.

The mare has trialled once leading into the Missile, again behind Joliestar, and Alexiou said the way the Group 2 appears to map will give her the chance to perform.

“She’s coming up quite well, she had a soft trial at Rosehill the other week among good company,’’ he said.

“She will improve off whatever she does but she’s fit enough to run well.

“There looks to be good speed engaged and they should run along. Where she settles probably comes down to her as she can be a bit sticky out of the gates sometimes.

“I just hope she finds a nice spot, they run along, and she gets her chance.”

A drop to Midway grade worked wonders late last month for the Ryan/Alexiou-trained Green Shadows and the stable is hoping for the same result with Smashing Eagle at Randwick.

The six-year-old’s last win came just on 12 months ago in a Benchmark 78 and he’s raced in that grade or higher in 12 starts since then.

That race was over 1100m which is the same distance as Saturday’s Midway, a restricted Benchmark 72, and Alexiou said Smashing Eagle’s racing style means it’ll come down to how the race is run.

“He is what he is, he needs a lot to go his way with his racing pattern,’’ he said.

“If they run along and they’re coming back to him he’ll be hitting the line strongly.

“It’s the easiest race he’s been in for a while so I think he gets his chance.”

Sterling Alexiou on Green Shadows (race 7): “He’s trained on really well, James got him into a terrific position the other day and I’m sure if he can settle in the first half of the race he’s shown no signs he can’t back up what he did.”

Arctic Glamour's trial at Rosehill on July 23

On Deficit (race 7): “He’s not a big fan of wet tracks, he ran a couple of decent races first and second-up on wet tracks and we elected to freshen him up. There’s not a lot between them at home so it wouldn’t surprise if he runs a decent race."

On Union Army (race 10): “The race didn’t pan out right for him (first-up). He a horse that appreciates galloping room and he was cluttered up and had horses coming back in his face. Although we were expecting more he seems to have come through that race well, he’s a horse that can quickly turn his form around.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Randwick meeting