Bright Eyes wins in second start at Valley

Trainer Shea Eden and jockey Craig Williams believe there is plenty of upside to two-year-old filly Bright Eyes who has claimed a city win at Moonee Valley at her second race start.

Bright Eyes finished fourth on debut over 975m during the three-day Swan Hill carnival earlier this month but Eden believes the filly benefited greatly from that experience.

Bright Eyes settled just off the lead in Wednesday’s Big Swing Golf Handicap (1200m) for two-year-old fillies before hitting the front with about 150m to run.

She defeated Ordell by a head with the same margin to Shut The Frontgate who held on for third after leading.

Short-priced favourite La Parva raced on the pace on the fence but never appeared to be travelling comfortably in the soft conditions and was a beaten horse on the home turn, weakening to finish last.

“She’s a beautiful filly and the trip away to Swan Hill did her the world of good,” Eden said of Bright Eyes.

“We were really confident up there but unfortunately the rain and the track was downgraded and we were on a heavy ten.

“She’s come home a much more settled filly.

“What we’ve seen of her at home in her trials and trackwork I’ve always thought she’s going to be a beautiful spring three-year-old or autumn three-year-old.”

Melbourne’s reigning premier jockey Williams expects Bright Eyes to take even more benefit from Wednesday’s experience.

“She still doesn’t know how to really attack the line and she just did that on natural ability,” Williams said.