"We were going to just walk her into the race, but she's thrived so much over there that we had to work her this (Wednesday) morning," said Guy Lowry, whose training partner Grant Cullen has accompanied the mare on the trip.
"They went over on Monday night and Grant has sent me some pictures of her and she has really settled in well so we're keeping our fingers crossed."
Irish Fling's spring and summer form has been first class with victory in the
Listed Pegasus Stakes and a third placing behind the accomplished Durham Town
in the Group III Stewards Stakes.The patiently-handled Darci Brahma mare was then freshened and returned to beat the country's best short-course performers in the Group I Telegraph Handicap.
Irish Fling confirmed her trip to Sydney with a fourth placing, after being denied a clear run in the straight, in the Group III Darley Plate at Ellerslie last time out.
She will be ridden on Saturday by her regular partner Mark Du Plessis, who will miss the Group One day at Awapuni where he would have had a quality book, to continue his association with the mare.
Lowry said they were under no illusions about the task of trying to beat the Australian sprinters at their own game and Irish Fling's performance on Saturday would decide her immediate future.
"We would love to think that she's good enough to run in the TJ Smith and she'd
have to win or be placed in the Galaxy to do that. There's also the Sapphire
Stakes and a lot of other options as well." Also in with a big chance in the Group I sprint are Kiwi bred Aussie trained contenders Famous Seamus and Tiger Tees, who have drawn favourably in gates three and four respectively.
Noel Mayfield-Smith and Tim Clark will combine with Famous Seamus, who indicated he has his hoof on the till with a fast finishing third to Villa Verde and Snitzerland in the Group II ATC Challenge Stakes when resuming from a spell.
A five year-old gelding by Elusive City (USA), bred and sold by Trelawney Stud, Famous Seamus had form around Lankan Rupee in the spring and could well be the dark horse in The Galaxy.
