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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Gerald Ryan says unbeaten three-year-old Chilly Girl compares very well with some of his classy fillies of the past and would like to think she can lower the boom on Pembrey in a fascinating Group 2 $300,000 Kia Ora Stud Furious Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Gerald Ryan (Pic: Bradley Photos)

Pembrey threw down the gauntlet to the fillies with her runaway Silver Shadow win two weeks ago but Ryan would say Chilly Girl was equally as impressive in taking out the Rosebud first-up a week earlier.

Ryan trained Melito to win the Furious when it was a 1400m race back in 2009 while he’s also happy to put Chilly Girl in the conversation alongside Snitzerland at the same stage of her career.

“She’s a lot like those other fillies, she has a great attitude, good action, nothing worries them, they put themselves on speed and travel and quicken,” he said.

“She’s a good filly, she’ll measure up.”

Chilly Girl, $3.30 with TAB on Thursday, is being aimed at the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) next month and the fork in the road will come in two weeks in the Tea Rose at 1400m.

So Ryan, who co-trains with Sterling Alexiou, doesn’t see the filly engaging in any sort of speed battle with her main rival and wouldn’t mind the race unfolding similarly to the Rosebud where she was able to run down Blue Door.

“She was good, she’s done well and the form has been franked by the runner-up finishing second behind the Slipper winner last week,’’ he said.

“The last 100m was the best part. She has tactical speed, she begins well and puts herself there. She comes back, she relaxes, she quickens off a fast pace.

“She should get a nice run from there, I’d think she lands just behind the speed and will be strong late.”

Interestingly, Chilly Girl has never been away from Rosehill but Ryan said nothing fazes her and the trip across town to Randwick is unlikely to be seen as any excuse if she’s beaten.

Just what improvement is in her is the big question, given she was afforded plenty of time to be ready for the Rosebud, though Ryan is confident she hasn’t gone backward.

“It’s hard to say until you see them,’’ he said.

“When they win like she did first-up they’re not going to jump out of the ground after because they’re pretty wound up.

“But she’s certainly held her form, she’s cleaning up her feed and her work has been good. We’ll see where she sits on Saturday.”

Ryan will be relying on a vintage Nash Rawiller ride on consistent mare Diddle Dumpling in the TAB Handicap (1200m) to back up her promising return and finally get on the board at Randwick.

The five-year-old chased Heroic Deed home at Warwick Farm when resuming and while she’s yet to place in six starts at headquarters Ryan said she’s going there in the right shape.

“She has drawn a bit awkward, she hasn’t got great form at Randwick but in saying that she appears to be going well at home,’’ he said.

Chilly Girl wins the Rosebud

“She goes up a tad in class against the boys because she has an awkward benchmark where she has to go there.”

Gerald Ryan on Franz Josef (race 10): “He’ll probably still need this run, I think in his third run you’ll know where you’re going with him. He has improved off his first run but I reckon he lacks a bit of match practice.”

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