Continuing her preparations after an early arrival at Ritto Training Center, last year's G1 Oka Sho winner Stellenbosch completed her final workout on the 12th, working alongside a stablemate over the woodchip track ahead of the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup. Although she could not quite finish in front after starting from a wide margin behind, her time of 6F in 1:19.0 was solid, confirming her sound condition.

Winless in three starts this season and struggling to find her best form, Stellenbosch will reunite with the red-hot jockey Christophe Lemaire, who has been on an incredible run with three straight G1 victories. Together, they aim for a brilliant comeback on the big stage.

As with last week, Lemaire partnered the filly for the workout, shadowing Berber Compass from a long way back. She gradually closed the gap and briefly drew level in mid-stretch, before finishing about a length behind. Despite the chase, her time of 6F 79.0 - 36.8 - 12.1 showed she was moving with purpose and energy, suggesting her fitness is where it needs to be. Jockey Christophe Lemaire

Interviewer - On the feel of the workout?

Jockey Lemaire - "Her condition is good. She's about the same as last week."

Interviewer - On the distance?

Jockey Lemaire - "She tries very hard, so she needs to stay calm and relaxed."

Interviewer - On race tactics?

Jockey Lemaire - "I'll watch her races again and think carefully about how I want to ride her."

Trainer Sakae Kunieda

Interviewer - On the training plan?

Trainer Kunieda - "If we had started side by side, she might have gone too fast, so we began from a distance. She was showing good motivation, and her movement was very good. If she can run like this in the race, that would be ideal. Recently, things haven't gone smoothly, so I wanted Lemaire to get a feel for her and maybe figure something out."

Interviewer - On race tactics?

Trainer Kunieda - "Lemaire said he'll think about it, but I want her to race in a way that lets her respond well in the final stage."

Interviewer - On her recent struggles?

Trainer Kunieda - "There's nothing wrong physically, but something just isn't clicking once she gets to the races. That's the only concern."

Interviewer - On training at Ritto?

Trainer Kunieda - "She's done well when based at Ritto, Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, Oka Sho, and Shuka Sho, so maybe we can lean on that. It's not that there's a big difference, but we'll take any positive familiarity we can. You could call it drawing from successful experiences."

Interviewer - On the added distance?

Trainer Kunieda - "She's a mile winner, but her race in Hong Kong left a good impression, so the distance shouldn't be an issue."

Interviewer - On chasing the fillies' G1 grand slam?

Trainer Kunieda - "There's definitely pressure, it's quite something, isn't it? (laughs)"