Trainer Liam Birchley hopes to get a better guide on whether promising mare Calm Before is a potential black-type winner when she backs up at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.Calm Before will line up in the Lyndhurst Stud Handicap (1400m) after producing a stylish performance when ridden by apprentice Mitchell Speers in her 1200-metre Class Three victory at Eagle Farm last Wednesday.Birchley has retained Speers who rode his first city double on the day.the trainer was delighted with the More Than Ready m
Trainer Liam Birchley hopes to get a better guide on whether promising mare Calm Before is a potential black-type winner when she backs up at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.
Calm Before will line up in the Lyndhurst Stud Handicap (1400m) after producing a stylish performance when ridden by apprentice Mitchell Speers in her 1200-metre Class Three victory at Eagle Farm last Wednesday.
Birchley has retained Speers who rode his first city double on the day.
the trainer was delighted with the More Than Ready mare's victory from a wide barrier last week and is hoping the four-year-old will be better placed from gate three as she attempts to win for the third time in her career.
"I thought it was a dominant win last start as she was never better than three wide all the way," Birchley said.
"She was pushed wide again on the turn and still won with some authority."
Calm Before was stakes-placed as a two-year-old when she ran third to Black Minx in the Listed Sir Douglas Wadley (1200m) at Eagle Farm in June last year.
"I'm just taking her through her grades at the moment but I think she's capable of winning a Listed race next campaign," Birchley said.
"She's already been placed in a Listed race and she's out of a very good family.
"If she keeps improving she's definitely got the ability to win a Listed race next campaign.
"This will be a good guide tomorrow as there's a couple of handy horses up against her."
Birchley will gauge Calm Before's ability to win in better company when she runs against the Alan Bailey-trained Queen Of Asia and Coffs Harbour sprinter Rare Diamond.
Queen Of Asia has a strong record with four wins and six placings from 13 starts while Rare Diamond produced a courageous effort to finish a close sixth to Queensland-owned Acquired over 1100 metres at Rosehill 10 days ago.
Rare Diamond, a Scott Thurlow mount, has done her share of travelling in recent weeks after finishing eighth in a 1350-metre Class Six at Doomben on August 1 before heading back to Sydney for her last outing.
Prior to the Doomben run, Rare Diamond ran second on the Kensington track at Randwick after winning her two previous starts at Port Macquarie and Grafton at her first two starts this campaign.
Queen Of Asia showed she was close to another win when she powered home at her first start since mid-March to go under by less than a length when runner-up in a 900-metre Class Four on her home track at the Gold Coast on August 8.