Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) winner Vibrant Sun will have her final lead-up race before the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on November 2, as she lines up in Saturday’s Group 3 Ladies Day Vase (1600m) at Caulfield.
Trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, the mare was also entered for the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) this weekend, but her trainers felt a softer option would be more suitable ahead of her main target next month.
“We’re building her towards the Empire Stakes third-up, and it’s a race which she can run really well in,” said Kent Jnr.
Price and Kent Jnr had initially considered the Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) on September 27, but that race would have come just 13 days after her first-up tenth in the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m).
“It came up very, very quickly, 13 days after what was a run on a heavy, heavy track,” Kent Jnr explained.
“She won her Group 1 in the autumn with a little bit of time between runs, so we thought we’d give her a bit of extra time leading into this run.
“That first-up run and then this run on Saturday should build her nicely, hopefully to be third-up into the Empire Rose.”
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