Ladies In Red ready to step out

Emma Stewart has made no secret about her love for star filly Tough Tilly, but has spoken glowingly about the prospects of the stablemate she traded blows with throughout her two-year-old season.

That horse is Ladies In Red, who won her first nine starts before being beaten in last year’s Vicbred Super Series Final at the hands of Tough Tilly.

After a trial success at Tabcorp Park Melton last week, the daughter of Mach Three is back and ready to roll at the races.

She has drawn as the only runner off the back row in Thursday night’s AJ Prendergast Memorial Oaks on her home track of Ballarat, where she will have her first run since that defeat eight months ago. See fields here.

“We are really happy with her and she’s come back super, so she definitely hasn’t lost any ability in the paddock,” the Cardigan trainer told RSN’s Gait Speed.

Ladies In Red and Tough Tilly will again go head-to-head in some of the big three-year-old races, including the Victoria Oaks where they share favouritism with one online bookmaker.

“If you ask me, I’m confident with Tough Tilly, but if you ask (partner) Clayton (Tonkin), he’s confident with Ladies In Red,” Stewart said.

“I think Ladies In Red is going to be awfully hard to beat again this season. She’s come back terrific, she’s just a terrific little racehorse and nothing worries her.

“My heart is with Tough Tilly, but I think Ladies In Red is going to be awfully hard to run down.”

Ladies In Red, who won the Breeders Crown Series Final last November, will be driven by David Moran in Thursday night’s race at 8.30pm.

The AJ Prendergast Memorial Oaks, which is traditionally known as the Ballarat Oaks Trial, was last won by Michael Stanley-trained Petacular in 2017.

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