While all eyes were on Molly Bloom on Boxing Day at Pukekohe, stablemate Grail Seeker put on a performance worthy of near-favouritism in Saturday's Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.
Grail Seeker has established a solid record in her brief career to date, with five top-four finishes in as many starts, including a runner-up finish in the Listed Trevor & Corallie Eagle Memorial (1500m) before a game third behind her Group One-winning stablemate in the Group 2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) on Boxing Day.
The daughter of Iffraaj will be the sole Wexford Stables representative in the feature fillies' event on Wellington Cup Day, and co-trainer Andrew Scott is hopeful she will have her time in the spotlight.
“She certainly brings a strong form line, and her work leading into this race has been the best of her preparation thus far,” he said.
“We're hopeful she can produce a strong performance, she's a lovely filly with a good bit of scope, and she's travelled down well.
“Obviously Molly Bloom has been there, done it, and won well, but this filly is still growing in confidence. Every race she's gotten that little bit better, and we're hoping that will be reflected on Saturday.”
Scott's faith in the filly has been shared with punters, who have punted Grail Seeker from +380 into +260 with top horse racing bookmakers, snapping at the heels of a key racerival in Sudbina at +230.