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Prolific TAB Highway winner Keith Dryden has more than a gut feeling highly promising Vinolass will secure a start after being declared the third emergency into Saturday’s Rosehill Gardens episode and his insurance is the early booking of leading rider Tyler Schiller.
Already there are two scratchings, Keith Dryden needs just one more and inevitably in Highways there are numerous withdrawals from wide barriers in capacity fields.
So, betting markets are on high alert with Dryden's record and a speed mare who has won three from four in exceptional times.
While ACT stables are first balloted out, Dryden has managed near 30 series wins since the Highways inception and considers the striking chestnut mare a genuine Newhaven Park Country Championships contender if she can accumulate enough benchmark credentials in time.
As equal second topweight on Saturday with 58kg earned from three wins and a city second, for a $120,000, 1400m Class 3, Vinolass was originally only third emergency.
Shortly after acceptances, however, Cody's Morgan's Lostma Cowboy and Tim Robinson's Deni Gal were scratched.
Previous wins in near record times at Canberra and Sapphire by Vinolass and her last start second in a tougher Warwick Farm BM 72 for mares, where she started favourite, likely will see her among the favourites on Saturday - currently Vinolass is $6 on TAB.
Matthew Dunn's Belvedere Boys is the $4 TAB favourite ahead of the unbeaten Palazzo Prince ($8 into $4.80) and Rapbidash($5).
"I've always had a big opinion of her, I'm hoping she can accumulate enough credentials in time for the Moruya leg of the Country Championships (March 3), so essential we get to run here," Dryden offered on Vinolass.
"She started favourite in a city Benchmark 72 and got beat less than a length by a nice horse. That's as good as any form here.
"If we're in, she'll run a race, might be close to favourite.
"She was brilliant as a filly and I was confident she'd come back stronger and more mature as a mare and second-up she'll take improvement," Dryden said of the four-year-old Supido protégé.
"It's like building a house, you lay strong foundations and take whatever time is needed. We've done that with this mare.
"We're thinking positive because there's always been a precedent of several scratching from these races with wide draws in capacity fields and two early is looking good for us."
Dryden has been balloted out of several recent Highways when he had solid form credentials to be in the market.
Rosehill Gardens is currently a Heavy 8 but there is rain about.
