NEWCASTLE'S Golden Slipper hope Elimbari will start her charge towards the world's greatest two-year-old event at her home track on Saturday.
Trainer Kris Lees will let his boom filly rip in an exhibition gallop on the course proper between races at the Broadmeadow meeting.
Lees said he will use the gallop to decide when Elimbari would resume in a race.
He is tossing up between the group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100 metres) on February 27 at Rosehill or the group 3 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) at Warwick Farm a week later.
Whichever race he chooses, Lees hopes Elimbari will show she has the qualities needed to win the Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on April 2.
"The filly is looking great and the hit-out on Saturday at the races will be vital for her," Lees said.
"It will give me an idea of how forward she is, and then I can choose which race to kick off her Golden Slipper preparation in."
The filly announced herself as a Golden Slipper contender at her only race start when she did brilliantly to win at Rosehill on January 16.
She sat three wide throughout but stormed home to edge out Celts over 1100m.
The pair ran away from their opposition and were immediately tagged as Golden Slipper material.
Lees had planned an assault on next Saturday's Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield with Elimbari but was forced to abandon that idea.
"She did an enormous job to win on debut but it did take plenty out of her," Lees said.
"She was a bit of a mess for a few days after the win but has fully recovered now.
"Elimbari is an exciting type and it will be really good to see her back in action on Saturday even though it will only be an exhibition gallop."
Lees has never had the thrill of having a Golden Slipper runner.
He tried to qualify his champion filly Samantha Miss but she just failed to make the field.
If Lees can get his filly to the big one he will be hoping to emulate his father, the late Max Lees, who took the racing world by storm in 1977 when his champion Luskin Star blitzed the Golden Slipper field.
Newcastle has also had other success in the race, thanks to Paul Perry's speedy youngster Stratum.
Elimbari truly is a family affair for the Lees clan.
She is by Fastnet Rock from their former star mare Shalt Not, which had tremendous success under the care of Max Lees.
She was raced in a syndicate that included Lees's widow Vicky, Evan Sperling, Wendy Flood, the widow of former Newcastle Jockey Club director Peter Flood, and Bob Hannon.
Hannon has business interests in New Guinea where a delightful coffee variety called Elimbari is produced.
The syndicate elected to sell Shalt Not at a Gold Coast broodmare dispersal sale where she fetched $1.05 million. But they kept the last foal she had before being sold, which was Elimbari.
Sir Patrick Hogan, who is one of the biggest names from the New Zealand thoroughbred breeding industry, bought Shalt Not which was in foal to Testa Rossa at the time.
Hogan sold that colt, which is now a yearling, at the recent Karaka premier sales in New Zealand for $300,000.
Lees was at the sales but decided not to make a bid for the progeny of Shalt Not.
"I thought we had the star from her so far and that would do right now," Lees said.
"Elimbari is special to our family because dad trained the mare and mum has a small share in the ownership of both.
"She has given us tremendous pleasure so far, and of course it would be a mighty thrill to get a Golden Slipper runner and hopefully a winner.
"But a lot has to go under the bridge before that occurs and will know more about Elimbari's chances after her gallop on Saturday."
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