Ella Enchanted's ‘Bold' Group 1 Bid

ELLA Enchanted begins her quest for a maiden group 1 title when she steps out in the Bold Trease heats at Sandown Park this Friday night.

GRAND bitch Ella Enchanted begins her quest for a maiden group 1 title when she steps out in the second heat of the Bold Trease (715m) at Sandown Park this Friday night.

Over the past month, the daughter of Don't Knocka Him has been a significant mover in all-in markets for the group 1 distance feature, despite the five-time group race placegetter not having raced since finishing runner-up to Tornado Tears in the Superstayers at Albion Park in June.

That all changed on Sunday at Sandown however when the Jamie-Ennis trained charge blew out the cobwebs with a slick 34.26 success over the 595 metres, an effort that more than pleased her Lara based conditioner.

"She raced on Sunday exactly how I've been training her," Ennis declared.

"I've been working her pretty hard over 600 to get her fitness up to where it needs to be for Friday night so I expected her to race dour like she did on Sunday.

"She put them away late which is exactly what I wanted to see going into this week."

Drawn box one for the second of four Bold Trease heats this Friday, Ella Enchanted tackles two-time group 1 winner Blue Moon Rising in what looms as one of the clashes of the program.

Also engaged in the race is the promising Just Terms, runner-up to Blue Moon Rising in the recent Group 1 Stayers Topgun, and grand old stayer Ebby Miss.

TAB has installed Ella Enchanted a $2.10 favourite ahead of Blue Moon Rising at $3.80.

"I'm asking a bit of her for sure but she's got so much quality; I know what she's capable of," Ennis added.

"It's not a vintage year of stayers and the draw for her looks ideal. I'd say Blue Moon Rising will lead and Ella Enchanted gets the nice run through, hopefully. I own the four (Nordegren) and it wants to use the track and so does Ebby Ripper in the two. She should get her chance."

Winner at 18 of her 40 starts, Ella Enchanted will be eyeing an elusive group race victory in the Bold Trease series, having previously placed in five of her six appearances on the big stage.

Back in May, she finished an unlucky second to Rajasthan in the Sandown Cup.

"She was very unlucky that night," Ennis reflected.

"I couldn't be happier with her going into Friday. She's a naturally clean winded bitch so it makes my job of training her so much easier. She's a very good worker at home as well.

"Before the Destini Fireball she went 29.60 in a trial at The Meadows but hurt a fan muscle which put us back again for three or so weeks. That's when I decided to target her towards this basically first up.

"The reason I raced her on Sunday was so she wouldn't be ring rusty going into Friday … I wanted her to be kenneled and go through the process after being out for so long.

"She's been trialling a lot faster than what she went on Sunday; she's right to go Friday."

And while Ella Enchanted is Ennis' leading chance on Friday, he also lines up two-time group 1 winner Barooga Brett in the eighth and final heat of the Melbourne Cup.

"It doesn't look like a heat with a lot of speed so it brings him into it – it looks an okay box six," Ennis said of the recent group 3 Silver Bullet winner.

"He trialled there good Saturday morning. He's a better dog at The Meadows but his record at Sandown is great too – I think sometimes I underrate him a bit.”

Barooga Brett has been installed a $4.00 second favourite with TAB for Friday night's final Melbourne Cup heat. The current favourite is Western Envoy in box five at $3.00.

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