Mick Kent will return to Sandown with filly Terilee after track was labelled ‘a joke’

Trainer Mick Kent will send talented filly Terilee to Sandown on Saturday despite his frustrations with the track’s firmness at Wednesday’s meeting.

Cranbourne trainer Mick Kent wasn’t thrilled with the Sandown track on Wednesday but will return to the venue on Saturday with talented filly Terilee.

A respected track walker, Kent was among a chorus of participants that slammed the track as being far too firm for Wednesday’s midweek meeting.

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Kent won a race with developing stayer Bluestone at the meeting but declared the track was harder than its reported Good 3 rating.

“We brought him in (Bluestone) for the winter and he’s struck two Good 3s, or a Good 2 today,” Kent said.

“It was a Good 2 today.”

Kent considered joining the band of trainers that scratched 12 horses following a track upgrade to a Good 3 after the first race of the day.

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The likes of Clinton McDonald, Grahame Begg and Ciaron Maher pulled horses out of races in the second half of Wednesday’s program.

At least one jockey approached track staff over the firmness of the track with several telling this masthead the track was too firm for racing at this time of the year, a couple labelling it, “a joke”.

Five riders told stewards their beaten mounts found the track too firm.

Michael Kent wasn’t happy with the Sandown track on Wednesday. Picture: Ross Holburt/Racing Photos

Showers are expected to fall in the lead-up to Saturday’s meeting at which Kent will run Terilee in the Ive> Handicap (1400m) but participants expect the circuit to be watered should the rain not eventuate.

Punters should forget Terilee went around in her last start at Caulfield where she finished 11th to Queensland-bound talent Madiyya.

The meeting’s stewards report noted Terilee was held up for the last 300m of the Caulfield run, going to the finish under a hold.

Terilee bolted in on debut on the Caulfield Heath track last month.

Kent said the filly, who was bred by Mornington trainer David Brideoake, was drawn wider on Saturday but that would not be a significant disadvantage at Sandown.

Terilee won well on debut at Caulfield in April before a luckless run at her next start. Picture: Pat Scala/Racing Photos

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“She’s going well but she’s drawn a bit deep. But this track is a fair enough track so it gives her more chance,” Kent said.

“She’s got a very good attitude and is very professional.”

While many of his contemporaries consider interstate targets for their promising three-year-olds, Kent said he would be happy to keep Terilee in Melbourne should her campaign continue after Saturday’s race.

“If you go interstate, the trouble is there’s a $150,000 three-year-old race on every Saturday,” Kent said.

“At this time of the year, the three-year-olds are really well catered for in Melbourne.

“It’s nice money for the winter but we’ll see how she pulls up.

“It’s her third run in so it might be enough for her, but we’ll see how she goes.”

Originally published as Mick Kent will return to Sandown with filly Terilee after track was labelled ‘a joke’