A Stroll in the Park for Innovation Girl
AAP Racing & Sports 18/01/03

Brian Mayfield-Smith is keeping his options open with Innovation Girl after her machine-like winning effort in near record time in Saturday's Zeditave Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.

Mayfield-Smith said he hadn't ruled out either the Australian Guineas or the Oakleigh Plate for the star filly who romped to a 3-1/2 length win over Titanic Jack with Step Ahead 1-3/4 lengths away third.

Her time of 1:8.35 was just 0.25 outside the track record.

"She's an outstanding filly and she has showed it with the fact that when she wins she runs time," Mayfield-Smith said.

"It's the sign of a top-class horse."

Innovation Girl has the imposing record of nine wins and two seconds from just 12 starts.

She was resuming after suffering one of her rare defeats when second to Before Too Long in the Group Two Champagne Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on October 24.

Jockey Nash Rawiller said Innovation Girl felt superior to her last campaign."She seems like she's come back a lot stronger," Rawiller said.

Innovation Girl shared the early lead with Titanic Jack but Rawiller was wary of the other horse behind him at the top of the straight.

"I knew that some would have been given a nice suck into the race behind me and I thought I needed to put a couple of lengths on them," said Rawiller referring to his decision to go for the filly at the 200 metres.

"But looking at the video replay I'm surprised how easy she did it."

Mayfield-Smith is now looking forward to testing Innovation Girl in the $200,000 The Debonair (1400m) at Flemington on February 1 when she will clash with boom Sydney youngster Thorn Park.

"He's an outstanding three-year-old too but you don't get to the top ducking the good ones," Mayfield-Smith said.

He said he had adhered to that philosophy since he toppled the legendary Tommy Smith as Sydney premier trainer.

"She (Innovation Girl) has shown what she can do," he said.

However Mayfield-Smith isn't planning too far ahead with the filly even though he expects 1600 metres won't be a problem for her.

"It (1600 metres) is still a bit of a question mark I suppose but if she gets cover and is race fit she can run a mile," he said.

Innovation Girl is nominated for the $750,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) but Mayfield-Smith said he wasn't committed to running her in the Group One three-year-old event at Flemington on February 15.

He said the $350,000 Group One Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield was still an option on February 22.

"I am taking it race by race," he said."I'm going ahead with the aim of keeping the horse right."