Racing: Talented filly in line for Telegraph

I Am Poppy will run at Whanganui on Saturday. Photo / Race Images

New Plymouth owner-trainer Warren Bolton is keeping his excitement in check over his talented filly I Am Poppy.

"The great Irish poet W. B. Yeats said 'tread softly because you may tread on my dreams' and that's my attitude to racing - you can't get carried away," he said.

Bolton is happy to take a quiet short-term approach with I Am Poppy, whose form took on greater significance at the weekend.

The daughter of I Am Invincible has won her last two starts with ease and in her most recent success at Te Rapa she trounced Lasarla, who came out and comfortably accounted for a competitive line-up of mares in the group two Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes.

"She does go well and she'll run at Whanganui on Saturday in a Rating 75 over 1320 metres," Bolton said.

I Am Poppy has also been nominated for the Telegraph at Trentham and Bolton is keen to give the three-year-old her chance in the January 21 feature.

"It's tough for a filly, but I'd like to take advantage of the conditions under the set weights and penalties," he said. "There's a long way to go yet though and she would have to win at least another two races."

I Am Poppy is one of three horses Bolton has in work with Grace Invader, a Duporth filly with placings from both her starts, to also run at Whanganui while an unraced juvenile completes the team.

"Grace Invader just blew out in the last 50 metres at her last start and she works just as well as I Am Poppy," he said.

- NZ Racing Desk