Sydney trainer David Pfieffer has I Am Excited on target for her attempt at back-to-back wins in the Group Two Gilgai at Flemington where she could clash with a couple of Everest contenders.
Saturday’s Gilgai over the straight 1200m has attracted 22 nominations headlined by multiple Group One-winning sprinters Santa Ana Lane and Sunlight who are being aimed at the $14 million Everest (1200m) at Randwick two weeks later.
Both Santa Ana Lane and Sunlight have also been nominated for Saturday’s Premiere Stakes in Sydney with acceptances for both races to be taken on Wednesday.
I Am Excited finished seventh in the Sheraco Stakes in Sydney in her season return and Pfieffer said the mare usually performed well second-up and he expects that to be the case on Saturday.
“She is going super,” Pfieffer said.
“She won the Gilgai last year. It’s going to be a lot stronger this year by the look of it, with Santa Ana Lane and maybe Sunlight heading there.
“But she is in very good order.
“They are going to know she’s there anyway.”
I Am Excited defeated Eduardo and Bons Away in a tight finish in the 2018 Gilgai.
Pfieffer, who had a winner at Caulfield on Sunday when Prophet’s Thumb took out a benchmark-90 race on the Underwood Stakes program, said I Am Excited worked strongly at Warwick Farm on Saturday morning.
The mare is scheduled to have another hit-out at home before travelling to Melbourne later this week.
“She has a gallop on Tuesday and then she will probably get on a truck on Wednesday night,” Pfieffer said.
“She’s very seasoned and she copes with the travelling very well.”
John Allen is set to ride I Am Excited in the Gilgai.