Racing: Kirramosa ready to take off in Missile Stakes

Kirramosa, to be ridden by Tim Clark in the Missile, will be entered for Melbourne's major spring features including the Melbourne Cup with entries closing today. Photo / Thinkstock

Missing the autumn could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for VRC Oaks winner Kirramosa, who returns to racing in the Missile Stakes.

Kirramosa had a bone chip removed from a fetlock, a relatively minor operation but one which prompted trainer John Sargent to abandon her last campaign.

Sargent has no regrets, saying Kirramosa is now a much stronger horse and he expects her to give a good account of herself in Saturday's group two sprint at Randwick.

"The bone chip was nothing major and we could have given her medication and then gone on to the ATC Oaks," Sargent said.

"But we decided to give her the time off and she is much bigger and much stronger now. She was always a little bit weak but got through on her big heart and her class."

There were 16 entries taken yesterday for the Missile (1200m) headed by Boban and Rebel Dane, who both have a 111 rating.

Kirramosa, to be ridden by Tim Clark in the Missile, will be entered for Melbourne's major spring features including the Melbourne Cup with entries closing today.

"It's sometimes hard for horses to take their 3-year-old staying form into their next season but I'm sure she is a genuine stayer," Sargent said.

"Obviously, the Missile will be a bit short but it is a good starting point and I expect her to be running on and to be strong to the line.

"She hasn't had a trial but had a raceday gallop and came through that really well."

Meanwhile, the Melbourne Cup is not on the radar for Kushadashi with trainer Richard Jolly eyeing another group one race at Flemington for the South Australian Derby winner. Subzero completed the South Australian Derby-Melbourne Cup double in 1992 but Jolly believes the weight-for-age LKS Mackinnon Stakes is the better option for Kushadashi.

The Adelaide trainer said Kushadashi did not spell for long enough to enable him to prepare the stable star for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, which left the Mackinnon as the best alternative.

The last two runnings of the LKS Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) have attracted eight and nine runners respectively and Jolly would welcome another small field for the 2014 edition of the race on November 1.

Kushadashi returned to work five weeks ago, but Jolly says he is another month away from racing.

He said Kushadashi would have one run in Adelaide before he travelled to Melbourne for his second-up outing at 1600m.

- AAP