Busy season ahead for classy filly

WITH a ‘pretty busy season’ ahead of her, Tough Love has begun her campaign in the perfect way.

First-up since November, Tough Love was a class above her rivals in a Trotters’ Foundation heat at Club Menangle yesterday.

Stating he treated the qualifier as a trial, trainer Rickie Alchin gave a glimpse of what lay ahead for the three-year-old.

“She is in for a pretty busy season,” Alchin said. “There’s still more heats of the Foundation, including next Tuesday, and then on to the Final.

“She’s also in the Breeders’ Challenge, Need For Speed, Breeders’ Crown and there are the Oaks as well.

“There is plenty to aim her at, and all being well, she will compete in each.

“With that in mind, she won’t do much between each series heats, Finals and so forth.”

Driven by Alchin, Tough Love worked to the lead from barrier six before cruising to a soft 18-metre win from You Got Me Good.

Florencita was a halfneck away third.

“I hadn’t given her a trial and just treated yesterday as one as I knew she was pretty forward,” Alchin said.

“That said, the run will do her the world of good and she will be a lot better next time around.”

Covering the mile in 1:57.3, Tough Love stretched her record to six wins and six placings from 12 starts for earnings of $56,367.

By Love You from former handy trotter Tough Tussle, the filly is a half-sister to Alchin’s veteran star and multiple Group One winner, Tough Monarch.

“Whether she can go as far as Tough Monarch remains to be seen, but she’s building a handy record for herself,” Alchin said.