The Brad Widdup-trained Icebath (NZ) (Sacred Falls) will link with rider Glen Boss at Randwick on Saturday in the Cactus Imaging Sprint (1200m) as the New Zealand-bred mare looks to step through the grades ahead of black-type assignments later this spring.
The four-year-old daughter of Sacred Falls was placed in the Listed South Pacific Classic (1400m) and Gr.3 Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) at the end of her Autumn campaign and finished fourth in her trial behind Le Romain at Gosford at the beginning of the month.
“It was a nice trial and she went and had a gallop up at Newcastle between races last Thursday and she has been ticking over really nicely,” Widdup said.
“I think she’s a mare that is going to be on an upward spiral this spring.”
The Hawkesbury trainer believes the two-win mare will be best suited up to a mile.
“There are some nice races coming up over the next few weeks and we are just trying to get her benchmark up a bit so we can get her into a nice race over the carnival,” he said.
“She ran in black-type races as a two-year-old and she ran very well there and she looked like a drowned rat back then. While she is not a big filly, she is solid and she always carries a bit of weight around the belly.
“She is a real competitor and she ran in strong company in her last three runs last preparation.”
Icebath is rated a $5.50 chance on Saturday, with the Randwick track currently a Slow7.
