Trots Centre: Trots again a staple of Luke’s diet as filly debuts

Tonight could well prove the start of something special for trainer Luke Stapleton, who unveils the first of a fleet of well-bred fillies.

Keilah steps out in the first at Bendigo tonight, the Bayswater Jayco 3YO Maiden pace on Trots Vision at 6.17pm, with Stapleton’s hopes high for the filly, who’s only the third horse he’s had run in his name since returning from an almost 18-year training absence.

“She has taken a bit of time to get going,” Stapleton said of the New Zealand-bred Art Major three-year-old, who’s a half to ThatswhatIsaid ($116,477) and I Will Rock You ($80,726). “She was a bit rough with her pacing and now she is doing everything right.”

That’s been evident in her two winning trials at Maryborough this month, her first since she trialled when in the hands of Mick Stanley almost 12 months prior.

Owned by Stapleton’s uncle and aunty, Brendan and Anne James of BFJ Bloodstock, he said the filly was returned to him for a spell and “I have ended up training her”.

It’s been fortuitous, because she’s taken well to the neighbour’s unique training track.

“I live next door to Kate Hargreaves and Alex Ashwood and use their track, which has an ascent from 800 to 600 metres and that seems to be agreeing with her.”

More will be learned when she debuts tomorrow night, but she hasn’t been missed by analysts, with Good Form’s Blake Redden marking her a $2 chance and “after showing some good dash in a couple of Maryborough trials” he noted “she’s out of a good producing mare and she should be hard to beat”.

And she’s not the only promising filly in Stapleton’s care.

He’s also preparing unraced pair Yankee Angel and Angel Of Heaven, half-sisters who were bred by BFJ Bloodstock to their mare Arty Alice.

The latter has a terrific record, not only producing Beach Shack ($148,702) and Angel Of Arts ($100,600) but Rockstar Angel, who’s building on her $406,258 in Australian earnings with success in the US.

Yankee Angel is their three-year-old half-sister by American Ideal and Stapleton said she was “a nice filly”.

“She is pretty small, but predominantly the family haven’t gone early, so we won’t rush her,” he said. “She is about a month away from trialling.”

Similarly, two-year-old Angel Of Heaven, by Rock N Roll Heaven, will be worked up slowly.

Stapleton also trains there big half-brother Tracer Bullet, who has spelled since last July but is nearing a return.

“I had a win with Tracer Bullet (last campaign), he is back in work and about a month away from trialling,” he said.

The quartet make up the stable of Stapleton, who drove from 1998 through to 2003, steering 37 winners across 544 starts amid stints working with Andrew Peace, Gavin Lang, Noel Alexander, David Murphy and time in the US.

“I out drove my claim and it got pretty hard and so I went working for Dad,” he said.

Some 15 years on the itch has returned, he’s re-established at Shelbourne and again has his hands full.

“It’s good to be back training a couple and mucking around with a few,” he said. “Four is a lot, probably too much, when you are working full-time, but when they are quality like this it is pretty motivating.”

TALKING TROTS ON SENTRACK:

Hosts Jason Bonnington and Blake Redden have another big line-up for today’s Talking Trots on SENTrack, which runs weekdays from 11am-1pm on 1377AM in Melbourne, 657AM in Perth and 1575AM in Wollongong.

11am: Mike Reed

11.15am: Maddie Ray

11.35am: Peter Tonkin on Gavin Lang

After noon: Mick Guerin

12.20pm: Tim Butt

Click here to listen live and for links to download the SEN app.