Karen Zimmerman will play a strong hand in this weekend’s Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes and she’s loathe to split the stable representatives.

Brave mare Coastal Express displayed all her fighting qualities when she lifted herself off the canvas to score a narrow but deserved victory in open handicap company over 1400 metres at Awapuni on Saturday.

Coastal Express has fashioned a tidy record up to a mile and trainer Karen Zimmerman believes the five-year-old can further prosper over more ground.