Shopaholic comes back for more

Despite the toppling of another smart filly, trainer Danny O'Brien is content to keep Shopaholic, winner of yesterday's Group 2 Angus Armanasco Stakes at Caulfield, to her own age and sex.

Shopaholic beat high-class filly Mosheen last week and yesterday the Flemington-trained three-year-old defeated the well-regarded Soft Sand.

But O'Brien said the Kewney Stakes at Flemington on Saturday week was a far better option for Shopaholic than the $1 million Australian Guineas next Saturday.

"She's a very high-class filly and we ran her last week to have her cherry-ripe for today and obviously she beat Mosheen, but she stripped a lot fitter today and was very impressive," he said.

"The plan will be to go to the Kewney Stakes in two weeks' time. We are probably eyeing off Brisbane [and] we would give her a freshen up and then head north to the Winter Stakes and possibly the Stradbroke Handicap."

Jockey Glen Boss backed O'Brien's belief that Shopaholic has improved considerably in the past week. "She is probably better than last week, no doubt. She is only a little, light thing … but when you get over her neck, you think 'OK you've got a good action and plenty of ability'," he said.

Shopaholic drifted from $7 to $8 and scored by a length from the $2.80 favourite Soft Sand, with Cute Emily ($31) 1¾ lengths away third.

Damien Oliver, who rode the favourite Soft Sand, said the filly's awkward barrier of 10 may have taken its toll yesterday.

Story by Patrick Bartley, to view full Age story click here

Photo by Age Photographer Vince Caligiuri