Scone trainer Rod Northam will send exciting mare Spiranac - his contender for the $1.3 million The Kosciuszko - out to impress at Randwick on September 4.
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Spiranac has returned from an autumn campaign in which she was a brilliant winner of a qualifying heat of the Country Championships at Tamworth before finishing seventh of 16 in the final.
The five-year-old, a winner of five of her 12 starts, was very impressive in a barrier trial at Muswellbrook on August 13, motoring home to finish a close second despite gun apprentice Reece Jones keeping her under a tight hold throughout the 1000m race.
"It was a lovely trial, I couldn't have been happier with it," Northam said.
"I didn't want to be giving her a gut-buster. We just let her run to the line. She came out of it perfect."
Spiranac is prominent in TAB fixed odds betting on The Kosciuszko - to be held at Randwick on October 16 - at $15, with only six horses ahead of it in the market.
Northam is aiming for his star horse to perform well in her first-up run in a mares' benchmark 78 race over 1100m - just five days ahead of the slot draw - but while leaving plenty in the tank for a Kosciuszko preparation that will hopefully be confirmed in the days after the draw.
"She'll be ready to run well, but with improvement in her for later in her preparation," Northam said.
"Hitting the line well, that's the main thing. We obviously want to showcase her first-up.
"She's come back bigger and stronger this time in. Every time I bring her back into work she looks like she's improved a bit.
"She's prominent in the betting for The Kosciuszko and so she should be. She's still lightly raced and she's an improving mare, so she's got a bit of X factor about her."
Northam's advice to those punters who are lucky enough to win a slot in the race is simple: "Definitely keep an eye on her and get my phone number. Give me a call - we'll do a deal.
"Spiranac was great in the Country Championships qualifier in the autumn. She got caught up a bit in the final, but she ran quite well. I put her straight in the paddock after that with The Kosciuszko in mind."
The 14-horse field for the rich race over 1200 metres will quickly start to take shape after the slot draw is conducted on September 9.
Punters can get the chance to have a horse run for them in The Kosciuszko by purchasing $5 tickets via the TAB app or website in the draw. The 14 lucky winners will each pick a horse and negotiate a share of the prizemoney with its connections.
