Jockey Rachel King has noted similarities between herself and the promising, yet-to-be fully tested, filly Blue Door.

The Bjorn Baker-trained three-year-old is scheduled to make her seasonal reappearance in the Listed Rosebud (1100m) this Saturday. She previously defeated the notable colt The Next Episode in her sole outing during the Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) in April.

She is expected to be one of the least experienced and potentially smallest runners in the field.

However, King, whose own compact frame doesn’t diminish her competitive drive on the track, anticipates that Blue Door’s size won’t be a limiting factor. She is optimistic that the filly’s spirited demeanor will enable her to navigate the expected jostling within the full field of 16 competitors.

“She’s got little horse syndrome a bit,” King said.

“She’s a bit like me. She thinks she’s bigger than what she is, so I think she will stand her ground.

“But you don’t know until you get to race day. Hopefully she’s in the first few anyway and out of trouble.”

Connections opted against pushing Blue Door’s campaign further after her maiden success, instead opting to provide her with time to mature.

King believes this approach was beneficial, observing that the filly has developed and physically strengthened since her juvenile year.

“She’s done nothing wrong so far and it was probably the right thing to do. Just give her the one run then let her go out for a break, take it all in and mature, which she definitely has,” King said.

“I’ve done all her gallops at home, and she’s fast.

“She’s got that good attitude, and she has definitely strengthened from last preparation. She’s never going to be a big filly, but she has filled out.”

Since its current format was established in 2011, only two fillies have won the Rosebud: She’s A Fox in 2012 and Tiz Invincible in 2023.

Typically, many trainers target the Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) against their own sex a week later. However, eight fillies were entered for Saturday’s renewal, and Blue Door was priced at $3.90 as the favourite on Thursday.

King is also set to partner Savvy Diamond for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott in the benchmark race for three-year-olds. While she wasn’t aboard for its debut win at Goulburn, King did ride the filly in a preceding barrier trial and expects her to be competitive.

“She was good when she trialled, and it was nice to see her go down there and get the win on the board straight away,” King said.

“Gai and Adrian do it quite a bit, sending them out wide to get them a bit of confidence at their first start before bringing them to town.

“She obviously handled her first run well, came out of it well, and 52 (kilos) on her back helps coming to Saturday grade.”

For those interested in placing a wager, exploring popular online bookmakers could provide excellent racing odds for the Rosebud.