Shudabeen aiming to bounce back in Nursery

While horse racing is laden with tales of what might have happened, Shudabeen is aiming to avoid living up to her name.

Trainer Tracey Bartley has Shudabeen – a sister to stablemate Cudabeen – in Saturday’s $500,000 Inglis Nursery over 1000m at Randwick.

The two-year-old filly made her debut at Warwick Farm on November 23, beating one runner home after taking the lead in the early stages.

With the Nursery in mind, Bartley wanted to give Shudabeen some race day experience but now admits running her was a mistake.

“Disregard it altogether,” Bartley said.

“I should have given her another trial.”

Following the failure Bartley returned to the trials at Gosford where she strode away to win an 800m heat by three lengths after being quietly ridden.

“We just shouldn’t have gone forward first-up,” Bartley said.

“It was a hot day and she just went through the bridle.”

Bartley is hoping for a midfield position in Saturday’s race where she has drawn barrier eight and is to be ridden by Christian Reith.

“She trialled good the other day and still had a bit of a blow,” Bartley said.

“She’s had a serious gallop since and all’s well with her.”

Shudabeen and Cudabeen were bred by Fairhill Farm’s Mike O’Donnell.

Bartley prepared Cudabeen for a breeze-up sale but when she was passed in at $145,000, O’Donnell elected to leave her in his care and race her.

When her full-sister came along, Bartley had some clients to take shares in the ownership alongside O’Donnell.

“I think she’s pretty good,” Bartley said.

“She can run a good sectional.”

Gary Portelli-trained She Will Reign is odds-on to win the Nursery on the back of her tearaway debut win at Kembla Grange last Saturday.

Vinland, trained by Tony McEvoy, is on the second line of betting at $4.60 and Bartley believes the market has underrated Shudabeen at $26.

Cudabeen was disappointing at Warwick Farm on Wednesday and Bartley is going back to the drawing board to try to elicit strong race day performances from the talented three-year-old.