John Sargent is ignoring the formguide to declare potential Queensland Oaks filly Swift Lady will revel in any rain-affected ground at Randwick.
And it seems punters are on the same wavelength as the Randwick trainer with Swift Lady already firming from $8 to $4 to win the Gallipoli Handicap on Saturday.
Raw data shows Swift Lady racing twice in heavy going and finishing no closer than four lengths from the winner but Sargent is convinced she will be at home in the Randwick mud.
“Her statistics in genuine wet ground are a bit misleading,” Sargent said.
“She ran well at her first start in New Zealand on a bog track and the 1200 metres was too short for her in the PJ Bell (Stakes).
“With Randwick rated the way it is, it’s one of the reasons she is on the back-up.”
Sargent trained Gust Of Wind to win the ATC Australian Oaks earlier this month and Swift Lady is shaping as his chance to claim the Queensland version.
The filly goes around again after having no luck at triple-figure odds in the JHB Carr Stakes last week.
She missed a run at the 200m and had to be steadied by her jockey before finding the line in a generous manner to finish a close sixth to Slightly Sweet
“It was obvious last week she didn’t have a lot of luck but she didn’t have a hard race. She goes in hard-fit with no weight,” Sargent said.
Sargent will also have a two-year-old go to the races for the first time when Lindwall takes his place in the Anzac Day Handicap.
Lindwall has shown Sargent enough in two barrier trials but he is unsure about the youngster being as effective in the going as his older stablemate.
“He’s a gamble in the wet but we’ve got to start somewhere,” Sargent said.
Australian Turf Club officials issued a revised track rating after a late Friday morning inspection with the surface figuring in a minor upgrade with a realistic chance of it improving further.
