Conners Looking For Flemington Joy
- Monday, 27 October 2014 08:25
A virus has put an end to Dear Demi's spring campaign but her trainer Clarry Conners is still hoping John Singleton's colours can feature in the Group One winner's stall.
Yesterjoy will run in Saturday's Wakeful Stakes as a prelude to a start in the VRC Oaks which Dear Demi won two years ago.
Dear Demi, who ran third in the 2013 Caulfield Cup, was a late scratching this year with a minor throat infection and was scheduled to run in either the Group One Mackinnon Stakes or the Myer Classic on Saturday.
"She has got a virus which showed up with a high temperature this morning," Conners said on Monday.
"We have pulled the pin on the spring. We won't take any risks with her."
Yesterjoy is the latest in a famous family of Oaks winners, a dynasty started by Denise's Joy who was trained by TJ Smith for his brother Dick.
Denise's Joy won the VRC Oaks and the Queensland Oaks and produced Oaks winners Sunday Joy and Joie Denise who ended up in Singleton's broodmare band producing another Oaks winner Tuesday Joy, the mother of his latest Classic hope.
Conners said Yesterjoy had excuses for her unplaced run in the Geelong Classic and he was expecting improvement.
"She hit the barrier and Jimmy (Cassidy) jammed his foot," he said.
"The she got lost going down the hill at Geelong. She really had no chance but she has come through it well.
"If she runs well in the Wakeful she will go on to the Oaks five days later."
There are 16 fillies entered in the Wakeful including the Robert Smerdon-trained Caulfield Classic winner Fontein Ruby and maiden Thunder Lady from the John Sargent stable.
The Sargent-trained Kirramosa won the 2013 Wakeful and followed up with victory in the Oaks.
Injury kept Kirramosa out of the autumn and cut short her spring.
