In an ideal world, Brett Dodson would be readying Petticoat for a race at the rich Magic Millions Carnival, but he is more than happy to be a part of Saturday’s Wyong feature meeting.
The Coffs Harbour trainer has stable star Petticoat engaged in the $160,000 Lawrie McKinna Mayor’s Cup F&M BM78 Handicap (1100m).
The four-year-old daughter of Better Than Ready, a $100,000 purchase out of Book 2 at the 2023 Gold Coast Sale, fell just short of qualifying for next week’s $500,000 Country Cup, which left the $250,000 Class 6 as the only other option, meaning Dodson was happy to target 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,” he 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 partner Petticoat at Wyong and the pair is into barrier seven with the field down to 10 after the scratching of early favourite Big Red Tequila and Slinky.
Petticoat now occupies the second line of betting, behind Farnan’s half-sister Beside The Ocean, and while she might be missing Magic Millions, she boasts form around one of the leading contenders for one of this Saturday’s features on the Gold Coast.
Petticoat was last seen at Randwick on December 27, when she finished a 2-3/4-length fifth in an 1100m race won by The Sunlight fancy Ice Kool.
That was her first start since winning a 1000m Highway at Randwick on Melbourne Cup Day and Dodson said the improvement from that event should hold her in good stead.
“There’s nothing wrong with that form and I think the run probably did her the world of good,” he 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.”
