Months of planning will be put to the test when Suite Success lines up for the first heat of the Rivette series at Sandown.
Two conditioning runs this campaign, including a close last-start fifth to Vain Attraction over 1200 metres at Caulfield, has set her up for Wednesday’s 1200-metre heat which will be run under the guise of the Responsible Gambling Awareness Week Handicap.
“At the end of her last prep we decided to target this series and with this being the first heat hopefully she can qualify early for the final at Flemington on July 7,” said trainer Luke Oliver.
Oliver said the daughter of Hotel Grand was still learning how to race but believes the track which is rated a heavy nine will suit her at Sandown.
“I’m excited about getting her on to a wet track as I have a gut feeling she will really like it,” Oliver said.
With Red Dress Marley already a scratching, Suite Success meets only six other runners in Wednesday’s event which looks an easier assignment than last start.
James Winks, who rode her at Caulfield has retained the mount and with 55kg she has a good pull in the weights on topweight Jessica Rose who will carry 58.5kg after the 1.5kg allowance for apprentice Damian Lane.
Oliver said there was still significant upside with Suite Success whose only win in eight starts was at Bairnsdale last September when first-up after losing her rider in the Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield in February last year.
“Her runs this prep have been good and I think she is a good chance on Wednesday even though she still has a bit to learn,” Oliver said.
“She doesn’t quite know yet how to finish her races off and it showed last start when she peeled out to win but only floated the last bit of the race.”
Oliver expects that blinkers will make a big difference to her but has delayed using them until later in the series.
“When I put the blinkers on her that’s when we will see a lot of improvement in her but as she is going three-and-a-half weeks between runs I thought I would leave them off for this race and wait until next start,” Oliver said.
“She will probably have two more runs before the final which is over a mile (1600 metres) which is a distance I think she is going to appreciate.”
