CUP DAY GOAL FOR VOW'S SISTER

A crack at emulating her older brother with a Melbourne Cup Day triumph is on the cards for a promising mare after she impressed at last week's Caulfield meeting.

Litzdeel is a half-sister to the 2019 Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare, who also won the Zipping Classic and two Tattersall's Cups in Queensland during a career that reaped more than $7.7 million in prizemoney.

Litzdeel has already joined her older brothers Vow And Declare and Lycurgus as a stakes winner, courtesy of her success in the Group 3 SA Fillies' Classic in Adelaide in the autumn.

However, trainer Danny O'Brien is quietly guiding the daughter of Dundeel through her transition to open-age racing this time in.

O'Brien has run Litzdeel in Benchmark 78 and 84 races to give her experience racing against hardened gallopers but the mare has performed well, finishing fourth, fifth and second in those respective assignments.

Litzdeel finished only 2.2 lengths from Melbourne Cup hopeful Gilded Water, who subsequently ran third in the Bart Cummings at his next outing, over 2000m at Caulfield on September 20.

"She's been running in some really strong races, with some really good horses in them, and been acquitting herself well," O'Brien said.

"She's only a light little thing and four-year-old mares, it's always tough to step out against the older males in particular.

"But she's done well in her two runs (this time in).

O'Brien said getting back into her winning distance range would be perfect for Litzdeel.

"When we took her to a mile and a half as a three-year-old in the autumn, that's when she really put it all together," O'Brien said.

O'Brien has earmarked the Australian Heritage Cup over 2800m on Melbourne Cup Day.

"That restricted (Benchmark) 96 race on Melbourne Cup Day would be a good race for her," O'Brien said.

Story by Brad Waters for Racenet.com.au

Pic by Atkins Photography