Smart filly Gotta Kiss will wear winkers for the first time as she chases her initial black-type win at Doomben.
Gotta Kiss won her last start at Doomben three weeks ago and it gave trainer Steve O’Dea time to weigh up his options for the filly.
O’Dea decided to stay away from the top two-year-olds in the Group Two Champagne Classic and instead run her on the Listed Bill Carter Stakes (1110m) on Saturday.
The Bill Carter is a set weights event for fillies and Gotta Kiss, as the winner of three races, is well placed from barrier one.
She is a warm favourite to advance her winning record.
Gotta Kiss is fourth on the order of entry for the Group One JJ Atkins on Saturday week but O’Dea willl not commit her to a start until he sees how she progresses.
“Before the coronavirus we were only giving her a light winter and to skirt around the better races,” he said.
“But she gets her chance for black-type on Saturday.”
O’Dea has put winkers on Gotta Kiss who has developed a habit of wanting to lay in under pressure.
“She has worked in them this week,” he said.
Gotta Kiss has been consistent with her only unplaced effort in six starts in the Magic Millions Classic in January.
O’Dea has always believed she will be even better as a three-year-old.
Stephanie Thornton who brought up her 50th metropolitan winner for the season last week will retain the ride on Gotta Kiss.
She needs two more metropolitan wins to equal Tegan Harrison’s record of 52 for a female jockey in Queensland.