In Her Time will race in blinkers for the first time as Newcastle trainer Kris Lees looks to spark a flying finish from the dual group 1-winning mare in the TJ Smith Stakes (1200 metres) on Saturday at Randwick.
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The seven-year-old faces a crack field of sprinters in the $1.25 million race and was a $41 chance with the TAB on Friday.
The race looms as a penultimate assignment for In Her Time, which is set to go to broodmare sales next month.
The Galaxy winner in 2018 has raced just four times since her second group 1 victory, in the Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington, in February last year because of hoof problems.
She returned four months after a third in the VRC Classic with a sixth in The Galaxy, 2.4 lengths from winner I Am Excited, two weeks ago.
In Her Time has had 28 starts for nine wins, eight placings and $3,729,725 in stakes, but she has never raced in blinkers. Lees said he felt it was the right time for a gear change.
"They are going to go pretty quick, and this will give her the chance to pick them up at the end," Lees told his website.
Lees said the draw in gate five would help her chances.
"She's drawn really well but it's obviously a very strong race," he said.
He expected In Her Time to benefit from her good first-up run.
"She's trained on well, there's been good improvement," he said.
Lees said In Her Time could back-up the following week in the group 2 Sapphire Stakes (1200m) for mares but the group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) on March 18 was another option.
The stable also has Elisa Carolina in the group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes, Raheen House and Fairlight in the group 2 Chairman's Quality and Regimental Band in the group 3 PJ Bell Stakes.
Chianti trialled on Friday and was scratched from the Kindergarten Stakes, while Zeftabrook could also skip the race and run in the Wellington Boot on Sunday.
AAP reports: Santa Ana Lane can etch his name alongside two of the best sprinters this century if he can go back-to-back in the TJ Smith Stakes.
Black Caviar (2011, 2013) and three-time winner Chautauqua (2015-17) are the only horses to claim the race twice since it was first run in 1997.
Santa Ana Lane produced his trademark booming finish to win last year and Brad Taylor, racing manager for trainer Anthony Freedman, said he was on target for a repeat.
The horse has followed a similar template to last year, heading to the TJ Smith second-up off a month's break with a barrier trial eight days before the sprint.
"I watched his trial the other day then I went back and watched his trial from last year and I thought his trial last Friday was better," Taylor said. "He is primed for this. It's his first target of the preparation and we believe he is spot-on."
Santa Ana Lane, one of nine individual group 1 winners in Saturday's field, was on the third line of betting at $6.50 with Nature Strip the $3.60 favourite.
The Chris Waller-trained speedster is almost unbeatable when he is on song but he can mix his form, particularly when challenged for the front.
His presence will ensure a genuine tempo and the Freedman stable is counting on that suiting backmarker Santa Ana Lane.
"Hopefully someone puts a bit of pressure on Nature Strip and they go along a bit," Taylor said.
"If he can get to the outside and produce a run like he did last year, and there's no reason he can't reproduce that sort of run, I think that will be good enough to win this race."
Meanwhile, Gerald Ryan will have up to three runners in the group 1 Sires' Produce Stakes and regards his best chance as the only member of the trio yet to be tested at black-type level.
Return With Honour, Mission River and Cultural Amnesia will be Ryan's squad for Saturday's 1400m-contest, the middle leg of the two-year-old triple crown, which also comprises the Golden Slipper (1200m) and Champagne Stakes (1600m).
Return With Honour was the hard luck story of the Black Opal Stakes in Canberra when he was strung up for a run and finished fifth.
He again had no luck when caught wide in the Baillieu Handicap last Saturday and Ryan is happy to back him up provided Randwick is not heavily rain-affected.
"He is good as gold. I just thought he got too wide on the track and got out into the bad going last start," Ryan said.
"He will not run if it's wet, he will go to the paddock."
Stakes placed Mission River finished down the track behind Saturday's rival and Sires' Produce favourite Mamaragan in the Skyline Stakes.
Before that he posted back-to-back seconds to Rulership and Supreme Idea and Ryan felt he had genuine excuses last start.
"He did a few things wrong and was knocked from pillar to post," Ryan said.
"He gives the impression he is a horse who will appreciate 1400 metres, although on a wet track, I'm not real sure."
Cultural Amnesia rounds out Ryan's arsenal and is the least seasoned of the three, but he is a talent on the rise.
He was narrowly outpointed by subsequent Magic Night Stakes winner Thermosphere at Newcastle two starts ago then broke his maiden on the Kensington track, defeating Rock My Wand who was successful at Rosehill midweek.
The Sires' Produce Stakes represents a significant rise in grade but Ryan believes Cultural Amnesia is up to the challenge.
"It wouldn't surprise me. He is my pick out of the three of them," Ryan said.
"He has trained on well since Kensington. It doesn't matter if it's wet or dry with him. He's a nice horse."
Ryan will have up to five group 1 runners at Randwick with Standout in the TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) and Chains Of Honour in the ATC Australian Derby (2400m).
He has put blinkers on Heart Of The Oak in the group 3 PJ Bell Stakes (1200m) and is hopeful of a cheeky showing despite her wide draw.
The three-year-old beat subsequent group 2 Emancipation Stakes winner Positive Peace two starts ago and was not far away from the leading fillies when midfield in the group 1 Surround Stakes.
"She jumped out with blinkers on the other morning and was really good," Ryan said.
"She can run well at good odds."
