Streisand on song for Flemington return

The Magnus filly runs for the first time as a three-year-old in the Group 3 Cap d'Antibes Stakes (1100m) on Saturday. 

It will be the first of three runs that trainer Clinton McDonald has planned for the filly in the spring with a larger focus in the autumn. 

"She had seven starts as a two-year-old, so that's why we want to give her a light spring, only three runs, and that will set her up for the better sprint races in the autumn," McDonald said. 

"We don't want to be hard on her, she's rewarded us all the way through and being by Magnus, she should get better with age." 

Saturday's return will be followed by the Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on October 10 and then either the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) for three-year-olds on Howden Victoria Derby Day or the Group 1 VRC Champions Sprint (1200m) at weight-for-age on TAB Champions Stakes Day.

McDonald said Streisand had had a beautiful preparation for her return. 

"She had 10 weeks in the paddock and has had a nice, easy preparation," McDonald said.

"She's not fully wound up for Saturday. It's not her Grand Final. She will be ridden quiet and will be strong late, and if she can win there, she will be in for a very good spring.

"She runs on Saturday, then goes to the Schillaci at weight-for-age four weeks later and then into either the Coolmore Stud Stakes or Champions Sprint.

"If Yulong taps me on the shoulder and say that they have too many colts going there (Coolmore), we'll go to the Champions Sprint.

"That's the beauty of Streisand, she's adaptable to anything and she's consistently good at everything she does."

McDonald has a Yulong-owned colt Tales Of Time that he is hoping to get to the Coolmore Stud Stakes following his win at Sandown on Wednesday.

His next outing is expected to be the Group 2 Asahi Super Dry Danehill Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on October 3.

"It will nearly be the race of the carnival," McDonald said.

"We think he's up to that level. He's been down the straight before and raced very well in the Maribyrnong, and that's the path we will take with him."