The Group Three San Domenico Stakes will be a spring litmus test for Hollyweird who will be out to extend the good recent record of fillies.The sprint has been revamped this season, extended from 1000m to 1100m and moved from its traditional home of Randwick to Rosehill.None of that bothers Hollyweird's trainer Gerald Ryan who won the San Domenico with Zariz in 2000 and prepared Hollyweird's sire Snitzel to finish third to Media in 2005."She just gets 1200 metres and she won't get 1400 metres so
The Group Three San Domenico Stakes will be a spring litmus test for Hollyweird who will be out to extend the good recent record of fillies.
The sprint has been revamped this season, extended from 1000m to 1100m and moved from its traditional home of Randwick to Rosehill.
None of that bothers Hollyweird's trainer Gerald Ryan who won the San Domenico with Zariz in 2000 and prepared Hollyweird's sire Snitzel to finish third to Media in 2005.
"She just gets 1200 metres and she won't get 1400 metres so this race suited her," Ryan said.
"She's got a lot of natural ability, she's only little but she's got good speed and she can `possie' up from the barrier (two).
"She'll run an honest race, whether she's good enough to win I don't know but we'll find out on Saturday."
Hollyweird was also nominated for the Listed Quezette Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield and a three-year-old event at Eagle Farm but Ryan said that was purely precautionary.
"The San Domenico was always our number one choice but the forecast was for rain so I entered her for the other places in case it was wet," Ryan said.
The forecast rain hasn't eventuated so far and Rosehill was rated a dead (5) on Wednesday.
Hollyweird had five starts as a juvenile for wins at Gosford and Rosehill and two placings, highlighted by her third to Atomic in the Listed Chairman's Stakes (1000m) at Sandown.
Her only flop came in the Talindert Stakes (1100m) at Flemington in February when she beat just one runner home.
"She'd had enough by then and I don't think she was suited by the straight either," Ryan said.
Fillies make up more than half the seven-horse field in the San Domenico with Magic Millions winner Karuta Queen and stakeswinners Anise and Defiant Dame rounding out the challenge to the males.
While fillies had a poor early San Domenico record winning only four of the first 22 runnings - the race was washed out in 1998 - they have proven a force over the past decade.
Fillies have won five of the past 10 runnings, including the most recent with the Peter Snowden-trained Obsequious successful last year.
Darley will be represented by Anise on Saturday and with stable jockey Kerrin McEvoy in Melbourne to partner Golden Slipper winner Sepoy in the Vain Stakes, Josh Parr will take the ride.