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The time is right for Amy’s Shadow ($2.60 favourite on TAB) to hit back and stamp her class in the Parkes Services Club Parkes Cup (1600m) on Sunday.
The four-year-old showed she was ready to win again with a fast-finishing second at her latest start in the Gooree Cup (1400m) at Mudgee last Sunday.
Trainer Brett Thompson feels the extra distance and class is ideal for Amy's Shadow who will be ridden by Grant Buckley.
"She is racing terrific, but not having much luck. If she gets the right luck she will be very hard to beat," he said.
"It's an open race and the topweight Hit The Target ($7.50) even with 62 kilograms looks the one to beat. It's an even open class race, but I'm confident with the weight (55kg) she has got she will be right there at the finish."
Amy's Shadow has had two starts back from a freshen up and as a dual Highway winner at Randwick and Rosehill she appears to have an edge on her best form. Her last start suggested the extra 200 metres with improved race fitness would have her spot on for the feature race.
Amy's Shadow has been a little unlucky not to have won since her Sydney double last September and October having finished close-up in the two sections of the Country Championships. She just missed out on qualifying and Sunday's feature race provides her with an opportunity to collect another feature for her owners.
The four-year-old has already earned close to $130,000 for the Atkinson family and has been able to finish in the top three at nine of her 15 starts.
Hit The Target has to concede between 7kg and 8kg to all of his rivals, but is a six times winner with the most recent at Newcastle two starts ago.
Thompson feels Amy's Shadow is well weighted under the conditions of the race: "She is only a Class 4 horse, but she does only have 55 kilograms and that helps," he said. "If she gets the luck I do expect her to be right in the finish."
Meanwhile, trainer Neil Osborne also expects Lolita Gold ($8) to figure at her third start back from a spell. The mare ran third at her latest start and will have the services of recent Wagga Cup-winning jockey Matthew Cahill from barrier three.
The five-year-old ran third in the Bathurst Soldier's Saddle last start and steps up to a distance where she has recorded three of her four victories.
"She never looked like winning last start, but she ran on well so I think the distance is ideal," Osborne said. "Hopefully from where she is drawn she can be running about third or fourth and get a crack at them at the end.
"I do think having a jockey like Matthew Cahill on at Parkes from where she is drawn will be an advantage."
Lolita Gold was bought by Osborne and his wife Denise as a weanling with an eye on her future as a broodmare. Her dam, Lolita Star, won a few metropolitan class races and finished fourth twice and fifth once in Group 1 races in Brisbane and South Australia.
"She comes from a great family so the idea was to race her and win some races then breed on from her," Osborne added.
The other feature race at Parkes is the Whitney Welding & Bobcat Hire Satellite Hcp (1200m) where Patrick May ($4) is a narrow favourite ahead of Forever Newyork ($4.20). The Parkes track is rated a soft 5 for the eight races.
