Amanikan skips Dubai for fillies campaign

Trainer Mick Kent will set Amanikan on an autumn path after abandoning plans to take her to Dubai.

Quarantine protocols have forced trainer Mick Kent to abandon plans to take Amanikan to the UAE Oaks in Dubai.

The three-year-old, a winner at Sandown in January, was a possible contender for the race on February 21.

But having to spend time in a quarantine centre with no exercise facilities on her return to Australia ended those intentions because it was likely to rule the filly out of a May campaign in Adelaide.

Kent said Melbourne could have a facility at Sandown which he said would provide options for horses to travel to international carnivals.

Having put the decision not to travel behind him, Kent now has his eyes on gaining black-type with the filly who kicks off her autumn campaign in the Group Three Vanity (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday.

But he is not happy with the programming of fillies races heading towards longer events, pointing out there are three similar races in Melbourne, all carrying black-type, in the space of four weeks.

“The Vanity, the Angus Armanasco and the Kewney Stakes, they’re all over 1400 metres,” Kent said.

“The Kewney Stakes used to be over 1600 metres, but it was dropped to 1400 metres as they chased Group One status for it.

“It’s still a Group Two, so why not get it back up to 1600 like it used to be.

“We’re trying to get to Adelaide and here’s only one mile race in the lead-up to Adelaide and Sydney.

“It’s a really good race on Saturday and a lot would like to be going to a mile second-up after Saturday.

“This probably isn’t the right race to be running her in, but it puts me on the right leg for the future.”

Kent said with 1600m-options limited, Amanikan was likely to wait until the Group Three Alexandra Stakes at Moonee Valley on March 22 for her next race after Saturday.