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Port Macquarie trainer Jenny Graham was not convinced she should nominate let alone start topweight Leviosa in Friday’s $50,000 Queen Of The North on her home track.

Leviosa won the Queen Of The North two years ago as a three-year-old and is getting the chance to become the first dual winner of the race after a late decision by Graham.

“I was going to trial her but then I thought that would be a bit silly with a $50,000 race at our back door,, especially a race she has won before,” Graham said.

Graham believes that Leviosa is looking for 1400 metres or further and is planning to run the mare in the $50,000 Quirindi Cup over 1600m next week after she missed a start in last week’s Walcha Cup due to an elevated white cell blood count.

“She had a slight virus but is fine now,” Graham said.

Graham is using the 2kg claim of apprentice Daniel Holten to reduce Leviosa’s big weight of 61kg, freeing up the mare’s regular rider Robert Thompson for the ride on Darren Smith’s mare Idle Chat.

Smith, believes Idle Chat will underline her ability at Port Macquarie but feels she will be a much better mare with another spell behind her.

“She is not very big and has been late to mature,” Smith said.

“I am certain she will very competitive on the strength of her last two runs and the fact that Robert Thompson is riding her.

“It was a very good win by her at Gosford and an excellent run when second at Canterbury.

“We have travelled her around a bit as part of her education and this is another step in that process.”

Leading Port Macquarie trainer Neil Godbolt, is mounting a three pronged attack on the race with last year’s winner Al Nova (Alison Threadwell), last start Taree winner California Rain (Priscilla Schmidt) and Dinky Mink (Marlon Dolendo).

Godbolt rated Al Nova the best of his three.

“She has been racing well but this is a tough field,” Godbolt said.

Two interesting runners are the Hawkesbury trained Catseye Surprise, a last start Gosford winner and the Newcastle trained Watt Luck, prepared by Phillip Atkins.

Watt Luck has raced twice since resuming for wins at Tamworth and Wyong.

Apprentice Shane Arnold has the ride while Andrew Gibbons goes on to Catseye Surprise, a lightly raced mare by Testa Rossa which has two Canterbury placings to her credit and won the Big Maiden at Grafton in July.