Oakleigh Plate tilt for Shakespearean Lass

Pat Carey is looking to Michelle Payne to pull off another long shot Group One win when she rides Shakespearean Lass at Caulfield.

Shakespearean Lass lines up in the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) on Saturday and is currently rated a $51 chance.

Payne rode the Darren Weir-trained Prince Of Penzance to victory as a $101 chance in the 2015 Melbourne Cup.

“If you have a look at this race there’s 12 horses with 52.5 kilos or less,” Carey said.

“There’s always a bit of a scurry for jockeys when those circumstance happens.

“I’ve had a bit of luck with Michelle from time to time and you can’t ignore the fact that she is a Group One winning rider.”

Shakespearean Lass enters Saturday’s 1100m sprint off a last-start second to Thermal Current in the W J Adams Stakes (1000m) on February 4.

The mare won the corresponding race 12 months earlier but Carey elected to take a path to the mares’ stakes races.

This time around, Carey is happy to be taking on the Group One sprinters and expects Shakespearean Lass to be riding the speed from her favourable barrier draw of four.

“She ran a courageous second in a five furlong Listed race at Caulfield last start and the winner is taking its place in the race,” Carey said.

“Under the handicap conditions, she’s on the minimum for a five-year-old mare.

“She’s got good speed, she’ll hold a tactical position as there’s good speed around her and she’ll be there for a long time.”

Shakespearean Lass has had three runs this campaign for a first-up win at Moonee Valley in November and her second placing at Caulfield earlier this month.

Splitting those runs was a disappointing 11th at Flemington in December.

“She didn’t pull up well off that run but she’s been good since and has run well subsequently,” Carey said.

Extreme Choice, winner of the Group One Moir Stakes first-up at Moonee Valley last spring, heads Oakleigh Plate betting at $4 ahead of Fell Swoop and Hellbent at $7.