Girl's job hard from draw

Ron Sayers' bid for Australasian Oaks (2000m) glory received a setback yesterday when his filly Girl In Flight drew poorly in 13.

Girl In Flight will jump from barrier 11 in Saturday's $400,000 Group 1 feature at Morphettville if the emergencies don't gain a run, but is still expected to challenge for favouritism.

Yarradale Stud proprietor Sayers retained a 50 per cent share in the daughter of Commands after Cranbourne trainer Robbie Griffiths bought her for $60,000 at the 2012 Melbourne Premier yearling sale.

Girl In Flight won her first three starts last spring and was third to Solicit in the Group 3 Vanity Stakes (1400m), fourth to the same filly in the Group 2 Kewney Stakes (1400m) and third to Marianne in the Listed Alexandra Stakes (1600m) this time in.

She then eclipsed her Oaks rivals In Masquerade and May's Dream in the Group 3 Auraria Stakes (1800m) at Morphettville last Saturday week.

"She will be my first Group 1 runner since Northerly," Sayers said. "There was no particular reason why she was sold in Victoria, other than she happened to be over there.

"We like to sell our yearlings around the country."

Griffiths hatched the plan to aim Girl In Flight at the Oaks after she won at Caulfield at her last spring start on November 30.

Girl In Flight tuned up for the Oaks with a strong gallop over 1400m on the Cranbourne course proper yesterday, where she was clocked at 36.5sec. over the final 600m. Griffiths is delighted by the filly's progress since her last win, but disappointed by the barrier.

"Her work this morning was really nice and strong," Griffiths said. "She has trained on well since her win in Adelaide and I am really happy with her.

"The only negative is the barrier, which I hate. They run about 50m straight into a corner.

"She has passed every test we have put to her. We aimed her at this race after she won at Caulfield and she hasn't let us down.

"This is her grand final. She is a late foal and has been slow maturing so we have never pushed her.

"If she improves again as a four-year-old, she puts herself at a very high level."

Melbourne's leading trainer Darren Weir also fared badly with May's Dream (15).

·It's A Dundeel will stand for $27,500 in his first season at Arrowfield Stud under his original name of Dundeel.

His racing name was changed to avoid confusion with the much less well-known Done Deal.

The four-year-old ended his career on a high, claiming a sixth Group 1 title in last Saturday's $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

·Im Themightyquinn has drawn barrier seven for his comeback in Friday night's Memorial Day Pace (2130m) at Gloucester Park.

"She has trained on well since her win in Adelaide and I am really happy with her.""Girl In Flight's trainer *Robbie Griffiths *