A year in racing can be a long time as Trent Busuttin can vouch for.

Busuttin and partner Natalie Young plan on starting Sierra Sue (NZ) (Darci Brahma) in the Gr.2 P B Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday in the hope the mare can recapture the form that carried her to a stakes race win at Flemington last year.

Sierra Sue won the Gr.2 Rose Of Kingston Stakes (1400m) at Flemington last October and was then in the market before racing on the pace when a fading 12th in the Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill in her next outing.

Unfortunately for Busuttin and Young, Sierra Sue didn’t perform up to expectations during two Autumn runs before heading to Brisbane for the winter.  Sierra Sue had mixed fortunes there ahead of returning to Melbourne for a fourth at Flemington before winning the Mildura Cup (1400m) on July 23.

“We took her up to Brisbane over the winter,” Busuttin said.   “She ran well, without figuring. She wasn’t beaten far in her races then she came back and disappointed at Flemington, where she ranged up, looked the winner, but ran fourth.

“It was very much D-day at Mildura. We’re under no illusion the class of horse that she beat, but she won well enough to warrant going on to the spring.

“Being a Group winner already, we’ll run her in the Lawrence and that will give us a guide where we head later in the spring.”

Ideally a Group One victory would look good on Sierra Sue’s resume, but Busuttin is a realist. “The reality is we’re going from a win in a Mildura Cup to being back in a Group race,” Busuttin said.

“At her best she’s good enough to figure, but whether she can get back there or not, we’ll find out.

“The Let’s Elope, in the second week of September, for mares over 1400 metres looks a nice race for her, but best-case scenario, if she wins the Lawrence you’re entitled to have a crack at the Gr.1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) two weeks later.”

-NZ Racing Desk