After setting Sandown Park alight in several electrifying performances, well-named youngster Highly Explosive will create enormous interest on Saturday night when she makes her Meadows debut (Race 10 at 9.38pm).
Trained by Craig Treherne at Lara, Highly Explosive, which has won seven from 16, burst into prominence in March when running a scintillating 29.16sec at Sandown at just her eighth start, scoring by 13 lengths.
At her most recent appearance, the daughter of late, great super sire Barcia Bale and Explosive Madame finished fourth in the G3 Speed Star series, where she stretched dual G1 winner Tiggerlong Tonk to the limit in a thrilling match race, beaten a head in 29.19sec.
“She’s high class,” Treherne said.
“She was the only female in the Speed Star and I think she could’ve beaten Tiggerlong Tonk if she hadn’t made a mistake on the home turn and had to go around him.
“She’s very exciting because I haven’t had to screw her down yet.
“She’s doing everything on raw ability at the moment. I think she’s a star because I know what I’ve done with her and it’s not a lot.”
While the two-out format of the Speed Star suited Highly Explosive to a tee, Treherne concedes drawing box eight first-up at The Meadows might not be ideal, with lack of early speed a concern.
“I’m not sure about ‘the pink’ at The Meadows,” he said.
“She can go 5.10sec at Sandown and probably could get down to 5.07sec but The Meadows is a different kettle off the eight.
“I gave her a look at The Meadows ages ago and she had a post-to-post there on Monday and went pretty good.
“She had an easy week after the Speed Star to make sure everything was right and she’s in great order. She’s trialled well there and I expect her to go super well on Saturday.
“I’m looking forward to a good six months and think we’ll see the best of her over more ground.
“I’ve had some pretty good stayers that haven’t been able to do what she can do at a young age but it’s always been in the back of my mind that she might be too brilliant to be a stayer.
“She’s only just turned two and I’m not going to rush her but I’d say the Sale Cup would be the ultimate goal at this stage.”
While Treherne is excited about Highly Explosive’s long-term future – and with very good reason – his more immediate plans to head to Sydney for next weekend’s G1 Peter Mosman Opal heats have been thrown into disarray by NSW’s current COVID situation.
“I was planning on going up to Wentworth Park next week but the way it’s looking I’m not sure what’s going to happen up there and how to go about it. If we do go then we could have to quarantine when we come back.”
