Calendar Girl heads to Sandown with a strong chance of making her presence felt in today’s Atalanta Stakes, and the progressive three-year-old arrives at the Group 3 contest with an impressive record behind her.
Trained by Owen Burrows, Calendar Girl has won four of her five career starts and has never finished outside the first two.
That consistency has quickly established her as one of the more interesting fillies in the race, particularly as she continues to improve with experience.
Her latest victory came at Haydock on August 8, when she returned from a break to record another success over almost a mile on good ground.
It was an encouraging performance and suggested that she had retained her ability while also continuing to develop physically and mentally.
Now she takes another important step forward at Sandown.
The Atalanta Stakes provides Calendar Girl with a significantly stronger test than many of her previous assignments.
She will meet experienced opposition over a demanding one-mile trip, making Saturday’s race an important examination of whether she can transfer her excellent form into Group company.
The extra distance could nevertheless work in her favour.
Calendar Girl has already shown plenty of pace over seven furlongs, and the mile should give her an opportunity to settle into a rhythm before using her finishing speed.
Her ability to travel comfortably could be particularly valuable in what promises to be a competitive field.
She also receives the three-year-old weight allowance against the older fillies and mares.
In a closely matched Group 3, that advantage could become significant during the final stages.
Callum Rodriguez is expected to take the ride once again, providing valuable continuity.
Having partnered Calendar Girl through her recent progression, he should have a good understanding of how best to conserve her energy and time her challenge.
There is no shortage of quality opposition.
Kon Tiki and Moon Target are prominent in the betting, while Secret Of Life, Pacific Mission and So Regal are also expected to have strong claims.
Calendar Girl therefore cannot afford any mistakes, but her unbeaten record in four of her last five starts makes her impossible to dismiss.
The current ground at Sandown is described as good, with good to firm in places.
Those conditions should provide a fair opportunity for Calendar Girl to demonstrate her ability.
Victory would represent another major step in her development and could strengthen her credentials for bigger races later in the season.
A strong performance, even if she does not win, would also provide valuable evidence about her potential at Group level.
Calendar Girl has progressed steadily throughout her career, and the Atalanta Stakes is another opportunity to demonstrate that upward trajectory.
With confidence high and her form continuing to improve, Calendar Girl looks ready for one of the biggest challenges of her career at Sandown.
Leave a Reply