Caulfield horseman Henry Dwyer will keep his promising filly Leotie at home in Melbourne this weekend hoping she shows up in a non-Black Type race on way to Sydney’s Golden Rose 2016 next month.

Henry Dwyer has Leotie racing in Melbourne on Saturday ahead of a possible 2016 Golden Rose bid in Sydney next month. Photo: Daniel Costello.

The lightly-raced daughter of Darci Brahma is a triple nominee across two states this weekend including in the $175,000 Group 2 The Run To The Rose (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens.

Despite that race being the traditional lead-up to the $1 million Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) back at the track on September 10, Dwyer has opted for a non-traditional Victoria lead-up for his three-year-old.

The Golden Rose is the main spring assignment currently on the cards for Leotie who caught the at Caulfield Racecourse on August 13 running a long neck away second to I Am A Star in the Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1100m).

Despite the temptation being there to head to Sydney for The Run To The Rose this weekend, Dwyer will keep the filly at home.

She is entered for two races on the Memsie Stakes Day card, but Dwyer will accept in a three-years-old fillies Benchmark 78 handicap (1400m) over the Golden Rose distance and not the $150,000 Group 3 H.D.F. McNeil Stakes (1200m).

Leotie currently sits well down the updated Golden Rose Stakes order of entry in 65^th position, the ballot topped by ATC Sires’ Produce winner Yankee Rose, and Dwyer hopes an easy win will help Leotie improve her ratings.

“There’s pretty light nominations for the race on Saturday [at Caulfield] and it will give her a good opportunity to step-up to 1400m in what doesn’t look an overly strong race,” Dwyer told Racing Victoria.

“Caulfield’s her home track so she should be able to run a good race.

“Rather than being up in Sydney for an extended period of time through to the Golden Rose we’ll run her here and if she can win then we’ll take her up for the Golden Rose three days before and then give her the run and then bring her back for the [Thousand] Guineas Prelude and Thousand Guineas.”

The $200,000 Group 2 Schweppes Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) runs at Caulfield on September 24 followed by the $500,000 Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) back at the track on October 8.

Leotie is currently rated a $26 chance in all-in Golden Rose odds at Ladbrokes.com.au where the Team Hawkes-trained Up And Coming Stakes winner Divine Prophet and Omei Sword are the $7 co-favourites.

In futures Thousand Guineas betting she pays a much shorter $13 and is longer only than the Chris Waller-trained Silver Shadow Stakes winner from last Saturday Omei Sword and Yankee Rose who kicks off in the Golden Rose.

“The way she was able to settle back and relax and finish off well last start swayed me that she’ll get 1600 and maybe even further,” Dwyer said of Leotie.

“It’s always been a bit of a battle getting her to settle but the penny dropped in that run and I couldn’t be happier with her.

“She pulled up terrifically from her last run and was really clean in the wind.”

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