Lightly-Raced Diva Set For Midweek Return

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Michael Freedman

Connections of Juan Diva will be hoping it's a case of patience afforded equates to patience rewarded when the lightly-raced mare resumes at .

Juan Diva was a pre-post favourite for a race at Randwick on Saturday but the task of an outside gate on the heavy-rated track prompted co-trainers Michael and to scratch on race morning.

“Her best form has been on firmer tracks, that's why she was scratched on Saturday. We didn't want to go around on a heavy,” Michael Freedman said.

If conditions favour on Wednesday, Juan Diva's comeback will now be in the easier @ Vinery Handicap (1100m), and following two soft trials at Randwick she looks nicely placed to make a winning return.

“She had a good first prep and she had a couple of unlucky runs on tracks that didn't suit but she seems to have come back in good order,” Freedman said.

“Hopefully with a fine day today we can get a track that is rated back in the soft range tomorrow and we can make a call based on what the track is rated.”

Juan Diva is owned by the Taylor family, proprietors of , New Zealand's oldest commercial stud farm.

They purchased the well-bred daughter of champion sire after she failed to meet her reserve of $700,000 at the 2018 .

Snitzel was recently crowned champion Australian sire for the fourth consecutive season, emulating the feat of his legendary grandsire , who changed of Australian racing and breeding in the 1990s.

Juan Diva has raced six times since January, including a brace of wins at Farm and Kembla Grange.

Her consistent form earned her a crack at the Group Three P J Bell Stakes during The Championships where she was crunched in betting from $17 to $7.

However, she became fizzed up in the barriers and after striking some early interference, never found her stride in the heavy conditions and was subsequently spelled.

The promising four-year-old has drawn barrier three at Canterbury and with engaged, she has been installed an early favourite.

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