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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Les Bridge says it’s only a matter of time before promising mare Scintilla gets her chance in stakes company but he's content to continue her rise through the grades at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Les Bridge (Pic: Bradley Photos)

Scintilla started last campaign as a maiden but after three impressive wins on end closed it off with a game fourth in the $1m Inglis Sprint in Melbourne.

Bridge’s hopes for the four-year-old are that she can take similar steps this spring while acknowledging the NJT Cliff Clare Memorial Handicap (1200m) is a higher bar to leap to start this preparation than the maiden she kicked off in back on New Year’s Day.

“As long as they’re on the up you just don’t know how far they go, some horses get progressively better,’’ Bridge said.

“She just kept on gradually getting better, that’s what you want to see with them.

“If they’re any good they go through restricted grades like a knife through butter. So it’s good to see them keep winning.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she gets to stakes level, I wouldn’t say she’s a Group 1 horse but maybe a Group 2 or 3. There are a lot of good fillies and mares races later on.

“I’ve had a lot of good fillies and mares and she goes quite good.”

Scintilla, $3.80 with TAB on Thursday, warmed up for her resumption with a soft trial on Monday at Randwick.

Bridge said he can only expect the mare to run well first-up given the development she’s made during her spell.

“She’s always been a nice filly but she’s grown and strengthened up compared to what she won last time in,’’ he said.

“I gave her an easy trial the other day and she trialled quite good.

“It’s a good test for her on Saturday, Randwick should suit her and the tracks are drying out a bit so it’s a nice race for her.”

Top weight Point And Shoot will be giving Scintilla 4kg but his trainer Bjorn Baker is expecting a different horse to turn up after he simply didn’t handle the testing ground first-up two weeks ago.

The gelding failed to beat a runner home behind Kerguelen on the heavy 10 but Baker said it was a case of needing to get the preparation started and he has been encouraged by how he’s bounced through the run.

“His work on a better track on Tuesday was very good and off that alone I’d be very confident,’’ he said.

Scintilla runs third in a Randwick trial on September 2

“We didn’t think he could go on a wet track first-up which was the case and he can bounce back in a hurry.

“We were treading water so we thought we’d give him a chance and what we do know is we won’t put him on a heavy 10 again.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Randwick meeting