Miss Western Australia: Equine beauty Alsephina ready to peak in Saturday’s Empire Rose Stakes at Flemington

Hotshot WA mare Alsephina’s Melbourne campaign reaches a crux in Saturday’s $1 million Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington, with the six-year-old hitting the lucrative feature in career-best form. Though beaten almost seven lengths in the Toorak Handicap, the performance was among the finest of the chestnut’s career, having run on from fourth last to clinch a tenacious third behind proven Group 1 performer Antino and Craig. Moreover, three lengths inferior to Alsephina in that race was two-time Group 1 winning mare Orchestral, who shares $4.60 TABtouch favouritism for Saturday’s race with fellow dual Group 1-winner Atishu. Prior to her Victorian trip, Grant and Alana Williams’ star galloper had already gone close to capturing a top-level success, running second in last year’s Railway Stakes to Bustler and then was less than two lengths from Dom To Shoot in the Northerly Stakes a fortnight later. She had her first public hit-out since the Toorak in a Flemington jumpout on Friday, springing out to be a joint leader with short-course specialist The Astrologist before cruising to the line untouched, only a length astern of the speedster. Co-trainer Grant Williams said hoop Blake Shinn was “very happy” with the work and the mare had thrived off a necessary change in training regime. “She copped a good squash in the Toorak and had a good blow, not because of fitness, but because she had the wind taken out of her,” Williams said. “I gave her an easy week and I thought she might need it, but she didn’t. “I’m just going to tick her over this week. “Because I’m training off a track and not sand over here, she’s working for longer but not as hard. “There’s a 500m uphill straight track and she swims over here, which she doesn’t do at home. “But I don’t think we’ve ever had her this well. “Her stride length is better over here; I can’t wait ‘til ‘Lans (Alana) gets over here on Thursday and sees how good she looks.” The attractive galloper is $11 for the Empire Rose, with former-WA mare Amelia’s Jewel ahead of her alongside Saturday’s Crystal Mile winner Plenty Of Ammo at $6. After Saturday, it is programmed that Alsephina will return home for another bid at the $1.5 million Northerly Stakes (1800m) on December 7. She could now be joined by Sunday’s Northam Cup victor Buckets Ridge, who proved a class apart from his rivals after sitting back and blasting home. “Even with the track pattern, we just knew we had to take our medicine and it wouldn’t suit his style at that stage of the campaign to ride him any differently,” Williams said. “After that, ‘Lans said to me ‘I think you should be lifting your sights a bit’ and he’s now looking at the Railway.”