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By John Curtis

Hawkesbury co-trainers Mitch and Desiree Kearney are daring to dream!

Come Saturday at Royal Randwick, the husband and wife team will have their first runner in a Group 1 race when Sheeza Diva ($15 on TAB) lines up in the $2m Moët & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (2000m).

Rachel King rode the three-year-old filly when an excellent fourth at $91 to Shangri La Boy in the Gr 3-Gloaming Stakes (1800m) at Rosehill Gardens on October 11 and sticks with her, hoping to win the feature for a second time.

Sheeza Diva (Rachel King) in winning form at Hawkesbury. Image by Bradley Photographers

She was successful on another filly Maid Of Heaven for now Hong Kong-based Mark Newnham in 2018.

Coincidentally, earlier that year Team Kearney had joined forces as a training combination after Mitch had trained in his own right – and the couple won with their first starter, Final Trick (Winona Costin) in the Bill Aspros Cup at Bathurst.

Ironically, their maiden runner at racing’s elite level will be with a filly purchased mainly for two-year-old races, and specifically the Inglis Millennium (1100m) at Royal Randwick in February this year.

“When I saw Sheeza Diva (by Pierro from a winless Starspangledbanner mare Dizzy Diva, who was placed at five of her nine starts) in the pre-sale parade at last year’s Inglis Classic yearling sale, I really liked her,” Desiree Kearney explained.

“We had a $20,000 budget and I said to Mitch that I wanted to buy her if we could afford her.

“She went for $15,000 and the other $5000 went on nomination fees for the two-year-old bonus races, and was the only yearling we bought at that sale.”

Sheeza Diva was placed at Rosehill at $101 (third to Wodeton) at Rosehill in January at her second start, and then ran 13th at $201 to Newcastle colt Rivellino in the $2m Millennium the following month.

Through a mix-up, connections agonisingly missed out collecting a $400,000 Inglis Pink Bonus for Sheeza Diva being the first of her sex home.

She had three more unplaced starts as a two-year-old (twice at 1100m and the other at 1400m), and with King aboard, broke through at Hawkesbury on September 11 in a 1300m Super Maiden Handicap at her second start this preparation.

“Sheeza Diva is not built like your typical stayer,” Desiree Kearney said. “She is fine and neat, but every jockey who rides her kept saying she needed more distance.

“After she ran a close third over 1600m in a Class 1 Handicap at Kembla Grange at her next run, we decided to have a go at the Gloaming.

“She finished off well that day and almost got third, and hasn’t missed a beat at home since. Sheeza Diva loves her work, and enjoys racing.

“We’re not going there on Saturday with great expectations that she will win, though you have to be in it to win it. But we’re confident she will run really well again.”

Sheeza Diva has had good specking at long odds for her Group 1 assignment. After being at $71 in early markets, she is now a $15 chance.

Eighteen three-year-olds were entered for the Spring Champion and, despite the rail going to 7m out after last Saturday’s The Everest meeting, she is guaranteed a start. Only 14 horses can start, and she is 11th in ballot order.

Team Kearney’s filly has also been entered for the $1m Gr 1-Crown Oaks (2500m) at Flemington on November 6 during the Melbourne Cup carnival, but whether she heads south depends largely on her performance on Saturday.