Tasmanian trainer Elesha Spillane thought it was a prank call when she was told Damien Oliver wanted to ride her promising filly Speedy Sky.Spillane, based at Spreyton, has only been training for three years and was unprepared for the call from Oliver's manager Mark Van Triet."I was in the car at the time when his manager rang me and I thought it was somebody playing a trick on me," Spillane said.She said it wasn't until she compared the number that came up on her mobile phone with website conta

Tasmanian trainer Elesha Spillane thought it was a prank call when she was told Damien Oliver wanted to ride her promising filly Speedy Sky.

Spillane, based at Spreyton, has only been training for three years and was unprepared for the call from Oliver's manager Mark Van Triet.

"I was in the car at the time when his manager rang me and I thought it was somebody playing a trick on me," Spillane said.

She said it wasn't until she compared the number that came up on her mobile phone with website contacts that she was satisfied the call had been genuine."

"It was a nice surprise," Spillane said. "He must think she is a good chance."

Speedy Sky will have her eighth race start in the Betfair Handicap (1400m) at Sandown on Wednesday after three wins and three thirds in Tasmania.

At only her fourth start the daughter of Tough Speed won the Launceston Guineas (1600m) and then astonished her trainer by finishing third in both the Listed Strutt Stakes (2100m) and the Listed Tasmanian Oaks (2100m).

Spillane said she was surprised that Speedy Sky managed to get so far in her campaign and she had never considered her to be stakes class.

"She was only a scrawny, tiny little thing," Spillane said.

"You wouldn't have thought there was any way she would get any more than a few runs in a preparation but she loved racing.

"The Strutt and the Oaks were only afterthoughts.

"We didn't think for a minute she would be up to those races but she kept improving."

Spillane said Speedy Sky's form in those races against the mainland fillies indicated she was worthy of making the trip to Melbourne and hopefully getting a share of the Super VOBIS prizemoney she is qualified to win if good enough.

She was fitted for this run with a first-up close third to Pin Of Hope in an open age class four field at Launceston on May 31 but Spillane is more comfortable for her to compete against fillies even if it is in Melbourne.

"It makes it a bit easier against her own age and sex and we will give her a couple of runs while we can," Spillane said.

She said her long-term goal with Speedy Sky was the Tasmanian carnival at the end of the year and a tilt at a home town win in the Devonport Cup (1800m) in January.