In a perfect scenario, Brett Dodson would have Petticoat heading towards a lucrative Magic Millions assignment, but the Coffs Harbour trainer is more than content to be targeting Saturday’s feature meeting at Wyong.
Dodson will saddle up his stable star in the $160,000 Lawrie McKinna Mayor’s Cup F&M BM78 Handicap (1100m).
The four-year-old daughter of Better Than Ready, purchased for $100,000 from Book 2 at the 2023 Gold Coast Sale, narrowly missed qualifying for next week’s $500,000 Country Cup, leaving the $250,000 Class 6 as the alternative before Dodson settled on Wyong.
“She didn’t start enough times in the provincial and country area in the last 12 months, so that put paid to the Country Cup at the Magic Millions and there was another Class 6 Plate up there, but I just thought that was going to be a high-pressure 1200 race,” Dodson said.
“So I spotted Wyong and with the race’s 78 rating – she’s about a 72 now – that gets her in reasonably and then when we take another two (kilos) off with Anna’s claim, that brings her in even better.”
Apprentice jockey Anna Roper will take the reins on Petticoat, who has drawn barrier seven in a field reduced to 10 following the scratching of early favourite Big Red Tequila and Slinky.
Petticoat now sits on the second line of betting behind Farnan’s half-sister Beside The Ocean, and while she may be missing the Magic Millions Carnival, her recent form stacks up strongly.
The mare was last seen at Randwick on December 27, finishing a 2¾-length fifth over 1100 metres behind The Sunlight fancy Ice Kool.
That run came off a six-week break following her Highway victory over 1000 metres at Randwick on Melbourne Cup Day, and Dodson believes the outing will have tightened her nicely.
Markets are open with leading Australian betting sites for the Lawrie McKinna Mayor’s Cup, giving punters plenty of options ahead of Saturday’s Wyong feature.
“There’s nothing wrong with that form and I think the run probably did her the world of good,” Dodson said.
“I was probably just that little bit soft on her having six weeks in between runs, so I think she’ll improve off that and if she does show that little bit of improvement, she’s got to be in finish.”
The post Petticoat off to Wyong first appeared on Just Horse Racing.
