By Ray Hickson
Exactly where stakes placed filly Terminology fits into the big picture isn’t quite clear to co-trainer Adrian Bott just yet but he’s confident it will ultimately be better than winter company.
Winter, though, is where we sit and Bott said he’d like to see Terminology beat the older mares for the second time this preparation in the Moet & Chandon Grand Day Handicap (1200m) and continue to build confidence.
The filly didn’t break through until her eighth attempt but is now making up for that slow start.
“Going into her last start she had only won a restricted Magic Millions maiden but she’s definitely much better than that,’’ Bott said.
“She’s had that black type placing, she’s always been a big framed filly and she’s finally strengthening into that. We’d like to think she is of stakes class ability.
"She could race through winter and come through her grades and in early spring there might be a couple of nice mares races where she can sneak in, hard fit, lower in the weights.''
Prior to her maiden win, Terminology finished runner-up to Military Zone, twice a Group 3 winner since, in the Gosford Guineas back in December.
Terminology leads all the way at Randwick on June 10
She left her rivals with no excuses first-up as she carried 62kg from a wide gate to win on the Kensington track and while she is up in class she’s the equal top rated horse in Saturday’s race.
There’s no heavy track form against the three-year-old’s name, she is the $2.80 favourite with TAB, but so far she’s handled any surface that’s been thrown at her and Bott expects her to roll forward again and take running down.
“Physically she looks well for the run. Her class showed on that day, she carried the big weight first-up and did it quite impressively,’’ he said.
“We thought she was open to improvement and she has shown that in her work since. She is more than capable of taking that step into this grade on a relatively short turnaround.
“She’s fit and well and we’re not afraid to test her in those conditions.’’
Whether Terminology is part of the Gai Waterhouse/Adrian Bott spring team will be largely up to the filly’s efforts in the next month or so.
With the retirement of top sprinter Invincible Star, sold for $1.45 million at a recent broodmare sale, the stable will be relying on some new blood in the major spring races.
Big things are expected of rising three-year-olds Bellevue Hill, Dawn Passage, Vinicunca and this week’s Canterbury winner Rule The World while among the older staying brigade Bott said the Japanese bred duo Hush Writer and Wolfe are the flagbearers.
All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's meeting at Royal Randwick