Rob Camilleri describes Friday night’s Group 2 Richmond Oaks finalist Xoie Bale as a “work in progress”.
But the Lara trainer wouldn’t swap the talented if immature youngster for anything else in the $40,000 to-the-winner Oaks – race 6 at 8.57pm.
Xoie Bale will be striving to add a second female feature title to her resume, having romped to victory in Warrnambool’s Mepunga Oaks in January.
The December ’20 daughter of Barcia Bale and Helga Bale was also runner-up in the South Australian St. Leger and a finalist in the Lil Dickie Oaks at Ballarat last month.
“She’s very immature and still learning but she’s got a lot of ability,” said Camilleri.
“She gets very stressed. Everything upsets her and takes her mind off the job. She’s a woman!” he added with a laugh.
“But it’s nothing we can’t fix. It’s a big part of the game and I love the challenge of trying to get inside their head.
“She’s shown glimpses of what she can do. A couple of her wins at The Meadows (29.79sec, 29.90sec) have been very good. I think we’ll get her, the older she gets, she’s just going to keep improving.
WATCH: XOIE BALE (B7) “went whooshka” to romp away with the Mepunga Oaks Final (450m) at Warrnambool in January, scoring by six lengths in a smart 25.20sec.
“We’re trying to teach her about travelling, taking her to Adelaide and then to Richmond. Early on, she couldn’t handle going to Warrnambool, and taking her to Horsham was a debacle. She was a nervous wreck for days, but she’s getting there.
“She’s still doing things wrong, but last week was the best she’s come home from a trip. She’s coming ahead in leaps and bounds.”
Despite her idiosyncrasies, Xoie Bale has demonstrated her obvious potential in winning nine of her 23 starts.
In last Friday’s Oaks heats, Xoie Bale started $3 favourite from box one in the first of two run-offs but wasn’t able to get past local duo Fahey’s Magic and Yuko Girl, beaten only 1.75 lengths in 29.57sec.
Xoie Bale will exit box two in Friday’s Oaks Final, where she’s a $4.60 chance, with Camilleri confident she’ll derive huge benefit from her Richmond debut.
“She had a bit of a look around last week because it was the first time she’d been on the track, of course,” Camilleri explained.
“She’s pulled up great and I expect improvement this week.
“I know she’ll run quicker, especially down the back. If she can clear ‘the red’ (Not A Shame), she’ll go four or five lengths faster down the back.
“It’s a very open race – there’s no She’s A Pearls – and I think whoever is in the first couple going around the first corner will fight out the finish.
“I wouldn’t swap her for anything else in the race.”
Victoria also has a fancied contender in Friday’s G2 Richmond Derby Final – race 8 at 9.38pm – in Adhana Rico, with former local Anthony Azzopardi aiming to make another triumphant return to his old stomping ground, having also won the Derby with Nangar Flame in 2017.
Adhana Rico, a superbly-bred Fernando Bale x Bella Rico half-brother to 2020 Melbourne Cup winner Hard Style Rico, has also drawn box two, and the parallels with Xoie Bale don’t end there.
Adhana Rico, which has won six from 28, also started favourite in his Derby heat, albeit much shorter at $1.65, before running a close third.
Adhana Rico occupies the third line of betting at $4.
