Trainer Gerald Ryan believes Melito can sew up three-year-old Filly of the Year honours if she claims her second Group One in the BTC Cup at Doomben on Saturday.Melito, who won at the elite level for the first time in the TJ Smith (1200m) at Randwick last month, will enter the history books by becoming the first filly to win the BTC Cup (1200m) since the race became weight-for-age in 1991.Two other fillies, the Peter Moody-trained Set For Fame and Anthony Cummings' Sister Madly, will attempt the
Trainer Gerald Ryan believes Melito can sew up three-year-old Filly of the Year honours if she claims her second Group One in the BTC Cup at Doomben on Saturday.
Melito, who won at the elite level for the first time in the TJ Smith (1200m) at Randwick last month, will enter the history books by becoming the first filly to win the BTC Cup (1200m) since the race became weight-for-age in 1991.
Two other fillies, the Peter Moody-trained Set For Fame and Anthony Cummings' Sister Madly, will attempt the same feat.
Melito, a Blake Shinn mount, drew gate seven at Wednesday's barrier draw while favourite Ortensia firmed from $3.40 to $3.25 with TAB Sportsbet after drawing well in four.
The Ryan-trained filly remained the $6 equal second pick with fellow Sydney-trained colt Shellscrape (barrier 10) at $6.
While no filly has won the BTC Cup since it became a weight-for-age event, Ortensia also has history against her if she is to win with only three mares successful under the scale.
Queensland's Seawinne was a five-year-old when she became the first of her sex to win the BTC Cup at weight-for-age in 1995 before Sydney mare Staging equalled the feat in 1999.
New Zealander Gee I Jane became the third when she scored in 2006.
Ryan is a great believer in history but he's confident Melito is up to the task of toppling Ortensia and company.
"She would have been the first three-year-old filly since 1926 to win the All-Aged Stakes the day she ran second to Hot Danish," Ryan said.
"She had every chance that day but it took the best mare in Sydney to beat her.
"You can learn a lot from the history books but records are meant to be broken."
Ryan rates Melito the best three-year-old filly he has trained but is having second thoughts about starting her in next month's Group One Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm.
"I've had some very good fillies like Arctic Scent and Mon Mekki who both won Oaks but Melito is the best of them all," Ryan said.
"She won the best weight-for-age sprint in Sydney in the TJ Smith which has been won by some great sprinters over the years including Takeover Target.
"I originally thought the Stradbroke would be a good race for her because fillies have such a great record in it.
"But I'm starting to have my doubts now about the Stradbroke. She won't get the same weight advantage as some of the previous winning fillies.
"I don't think any of the previous Stradbroke-winning fillies won at Group One level like Melito has so my filly will probably get more weight than they did."
Ryan is likely to call a halt to Melito's winter campaign if she races well in the Group One Doomben 10,000 on May 29.
"If she wins or races well in the 10,000 I'm against running her in the Stradbroke because there's a lot of suitable weight-for-age races for her in the spring," he said.