Gosford preview: David Pfieffer is optimistic Angel Fund can land her maiden win

Luck and not talent could be the deciding factor in where the David Pfieffer-trained filly Angel Fund finishes when she makes her anticipated return to racing at Gosford on Thursday.

Pfieffer’s filly had earned herself a significant boom having won a series of three trials ahead of her debut in a 900m maiden at Newcastle on December 3.

Crunched from $1.90 into $1.70, Angel Fund was beaten on the day, clocking in third in the nine-horse field but with valid excuses.

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“The track was quite firm and she pulled up quite shinsore hence the reason she went to the paddock,” Pfieffer revealed.

“She is a nice filly with plenty of upside. She’s still learning her trade hence the reason we’ve ridden her cold in a couple of trials this time in.

“She is probably just going to be a sprinter for this preparation and we will see where she takes us at her follow preps.”

Angel Fund’s presence at Gosford only arises owing to the set of unfavourable circumstances that prevented her kicking off her 2023 campaign last weekend further north.

“I had her in on Saturday at Newcastle and she drew gate 10 of 12 and I was worried that the track might have been Heavy still,” he said.

“As it turned out the track improved and there were about five scratchings so we probably could have run.”

Angel Fund hasn’t fared much better in the barrier department on Thursday with gate 8 out in the field of nine but there are some genuine ‘offsets’ according to Pfieffer.

“I think the 1000m will suit her better and having Jason Collett on board is going to be a positive too. He has trialled her both times and he knows what he has got underneath him,” he said.

Angel Fund was foaled on ‘Derby Day’ in 2019 but her pedigree is very much a Golden Slipper family.

For starters, she is a daughter of the 2016 race winner Capitalist while her fourth dam is Beautiful Dreamer who is the grand dam of 1990 winner, Canny Lad.

Barring an unforeseen deluge, Pfieffer should be able to get his preferred ‘good deck’ for recent stable recruit Forms Of Fear who steps out in the Kelly and Partners North Sydney Midway Benchmark 64 Handicap (1000m).

The former Aquis/Annabel Neasham housed three-year-old had his first run under the new management on Wagga Cup Day, finishing a three length fourth but honourable all the while.

“He needs a firm track and it was in between a Soft 6 and 7 down there at Wagga. We obviously got caught wide as well so he was game in defeat,” Pfieffer said.

“I think he has improved since that run and we’ve also put the winkers on which I think will help him.”

Pfieffer may or may not use Thursday’s meeting to take the wrapping off the Paul Fudge-bred Pierro replica, Mister Fox.

“He looks good. He has trialled well and he is a progressive sort of horse who is going to be better with racing,” the trainer said.

“Pierro can produce sprinters, stayers, milers and I think with this bloke, he’s probably going to be a six and seven furlong horse.”

MIRFIN HOPING PROGRESSIVE MARE CAN RULE AGAIN

Local hero Dean Mirfin is hoping his talented and progressive filly Ida’s Rules can repel a strong Sydney-challenge in Thursday’s Pearce Furniture & Bedding Class 1 Handicap (1100m).

A daughter of the Muollo family’s dual Group 1 winner Press Statement, the Tony Muollo-owned and bred Ida’s Rules was sent out at Winx-like odds when she resumed on the Parkes Cup undercard on May 14.

Granted, the winning margin was under a length but there was a considerable dose of hidden merit in the result.

“She went into the race off a relatively limited preparation first-up without a barrier trial or anything like that so it wasn’t surprising that she got a bit tired late,” Mirfin explained.

“It was just natural ability that helped her win.

“She has tightened up nicely and looks very healthy and well.

“We haven’t done a great deal with her in between runs. It is a relatively quick back-up, but the gallop that we did give her, she looked very nice.”

Ida’s Rules is developing a tidy C.V with a win a three seconds from her only four starts.

That said, Thursday’s Class 1, while with its obvious advantages, will be by far her toughest test to date.

“It’s a harder race,” Mirfin said, “And horses from Sydney coming into make it tougher as well.

“She’s come through the run beautifully and she has improved so I am looking forward to running here.

“She is a filly that has got good gate speed and puts herself into a good spot so it’s always easier if you can do that from an inside draw. If she jumps well she should get a good run in the race.”

Mirfin’s other runner on the day is East Harlem, whose five owners are all ‘Muollos’ of some description.

“He ran into one that was just too zippy for him at Parkes,” Mirfin said.

“For a three-year-old to race against those older horses like he did first-up and he beat all but the winner, there were good signs there.

“He looked very promising the last 100 metres the way he found the line

“The map looks to suit him quite well. There is speed in the race and with his good barrier draw, I am hoping he gets a nice soft run.”