Danny O’Brien is hoping a rain-affected surface can trigger a return to form for VRC Oaks winner Miami Bound when she starts her spring campaign at Flemington.
Miami Bound will run in the G H Mumm Plate (1410m) on Saturday and the trainer is keen for her to signal she can again be a major carnival player.
O’Brien pulled the plug on Miami Bound’s autumn campaign after she failed in two runs in Melbourne where she finished eighth in the Caulfield Classic and fourth in the Alister Clark Stakes.
He believes she failed because of the firm surfaces on each occasion.
Miami Bound has had two starts on wet tracks for two wins and Flemington was rated in the soft range on Thursday.
Last spring, Miami Bound took out the two feature three-year-old fillies’ staying races at Flemington, the Wakeful Stakes and VRC Oaks five days later.
“She seems to have come up well. She hasn’t had a trial but she’s fit enough,” O’Brien said.
“This is a run to get her going and she’ll have the advantage of being on a soft track.
“She’ll carry a big weight which will make things hard first up so we’re just hoping.
“What I want to see is a good run and a return to good form. I won’t be looking at anything or making any plans for her until I see she’s back in form.”
The stable also has Iconoclasm, who is top weight in the same race, but he is unlikely to take his place due to the wet conditions.
O’Brien’s two staying stars, Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare and boom horse Russian Camelot, are scheduled to have a jump out on the course proper at Flemington on Monday.