She's Got Gears shows them at Flemington

Robbie Laing left no stone unturned in his preparation of two-year-old filly She's Got Gears who recovered from a slow start to win the opening race on Melbourne Cup day at Flemington.

He took the trouble of floating the daughter of Invincible Spirit across town from Cranbourne to Flemington on Derby Day to get her used to the big crowd and the surroundings.

"We are in an awkward situation at Cranbourne, it's a great track to train at but we do our slow work there, our jump trials and we also do our official race trials there so we never get on a float and go anywhere else until race day," Laing said.

"So we brought her out to the races on Saturday, gave her a walk around and she was very quiet today."

She's Got Gears, the highest-priced filly at $45,000 at the Autumn Yearling Sale in Melbourne, impressed in winning a 790m trial at Cranbourne on October 19.

"She ran the quickest last 200 metres of the trials," Laing said.

He had also been working the filly against Eclair Fastpass who ran in the Caulfield Guineas.

"Galloping against older horses is usually a good yardstick," he said.

Ridden by top jockey Craig Williams in the Listed AGL Renewable Energy Stakes (1000m), She's Got Gears ($10) missed the start by two lengths.

But she was still good enough to score by a head from the David Hayes-trained first starter Shaaheq ($12) with Crystal Lily ($7) 1-3/4 lengths away third.

"She was wanting to get out and once she got clear running she was on the one rein," Williams said.

"If she had gone straight she would have won more easily, she's a very nice filly."

Laing said if She's Got Gears pulled up well he would back her up in Saturday's Group Three Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) at Flemington.

"There are only five two-year-old races in Melbourne between September and Christmas," he said.