Cassandara Shadow - 2009 Oaks winner

Cassandara Shadow has come on nicely since her first up fourth behind Coronate in the Cronshaw Cup (1690m) at Bunbury on Australia Day.

That was her first run since December 19 when she pulled up with heat stroke in the CB Cox Stakes behind the Perth Cup winning Lords Ransom.

She will race second up over 2000m in Sunday's AHA Cup against another former Perth Cup winner in Guyno, and the up and coming stable mate Almohad.

Cassandara Shadow worked on the grass at Belmont on Tuesday and her work was impressive. She needed the hitout first up in the Cronshaw Cup and the form students will be keen to watch the winner from that race, Coronate, contest the mile race at Ascot on Saturday in race three.

Guyno returned to the track after a bleeding attack to run second to Star Risca at Ascot on the 30th of January. With Andrew Castle claiming 3kg to bring his weight back to 57kg, he will be hardest to beat. As a result, Almohad will carry the featherweight of 53kg and the in form Star Risca with 56kg. These three look the testing material.

Cassandara Shadow is by no means out of her depth, having acquitted herself well in the features over summer, placing in the Listed Jungle Dawn and running fourth in the Group 1 Kingston Town Classic under weight for age conditions.

Shane Edwards has nursed her through the campaign in an attempt to monitor her revovery from the heat stroke she suffered in the height of summer. Cooler conditions over the past few weeks have no doubt aided that effort.