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By Ray Hickson

Cellsabeel’s standing as the leading two-year-old this season goes on the line at Warwick Farm on Saturday and co-trainer Ciaron Maher can see no reason why she won’t get the job done again.

Trainer Ciaron Maher (Pic: Steve Hart)

The exciting filly looms ominously over the $2m Inglis Millennium (1100m) as the $1.45 TAB favourite on the back of that six length romp on a heavy track at Rosehill three weeks ago.

It also earned her Golden Slipper favouritism at $6 and a Timeform rating of 111+, top spot on the two-year-old list so far this season.

“I don’t read too much into that but she’s always been an impressive horse at home,’’ Maher said.

“I thought she could win but the ease of it was a little bit surprising. I thought the blinkers helped her focus a little bit more and she’d just made nice improvement from her first run.’’

Punter’s Intelligence sectional data illustrated the added merit in Cellsabeel’s last start win as she ran faster time than the older horses over the same trip and was strongest over the last 200m in her event running 12.20, almost two lengths better than her rivals.

Maher and co-trainer David Eustace are enjoying a red letter two-year-old season winning 15 juvenile races so far including last week’s Group 3 double of Prague and Away Game.

The latter of course won 2020's first major sales restricted race, the Magic Millions, and with Cellsabeel they appear to have one hand on the $1.16m first prizemoney in the race that launched Castelvecchio to stardom a year ago.

The filly stamped her promise on debut running fourth behind Dame Giselle in the $1m Golden Gift in November and her heavy track win last month only gives Maher confidence going into her first major target given similar conditions are expected at the Farm.

“I suppose you don’t really know about the other horses in these early two-year-old races but I was confident she’d made good ground in the Gift on a day when they weren’t making a lot of ground,’’ he said.

“The wet track was a bit of an unknown the other day but with a two-year-old going forward more often than not the Slipper can throw up a wet track and she ticked that box.

“With two-year-olds you’re more worried about the other way and whether they are jarring up.’’

If Cellsabeel wins the Millennium it doesn’t send her up the ballot order for the $3.5m Golden Slipper (1200m) on March 21, she currently sits 14th so will need to race again before the two-year-old classic.

That fact was behind Maher’s reluctance to commit to a Millennium start after her Rosehill win but he says she will head next to the Group 2 $250,000 Silver Slipper (1100m) on February 22.

“I’m confident she can get another run in,’’ he said.

“She’s the type of horse she doesn’t need to race a lot, she’s only racing to meet the requirements.’’

Maher is yet to lock in plans for Widden Stakes winner Away Game though an attempt at claiming the Magic Millions-Blue Diamond-Golden Slipper treble could be on the cards.

“I’ll let the weekend pass and see how she is, give her a chance to get over the run and assess her,’’ he said.

Cellsabeel's easy win at Rosehill on January 18

“The timing is right for the Diamond, it’s more about seeing how the horse is and whether I think staying here is a better option.’’

Prague announced himself as a Golden Slipper contender with his Canonbury Stakes win at his first go in blinkers and Maher said the Group 3 $200,000 Schweppes Skyline Stakes (1200m) on February 29 is next on his agenda.

“He’s an impressive horse with a huge pedigree,’’ he said.

“I was pretty confident with him, I thought he’d come on the right way. When he hit the front he had a good look around but Tom (Marquand) being quite a strong rider together with the shades it kept him focused.’’

Both Away Game and Prague are on the $15 line in Golden Slipper betting.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Inglis Millennium meeting at Warwick Farm