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Trainer Bjorn Baker flirted with the idea of throwing in-form mare Shezanalister in a deeper pool at Rosehill on Saturday but is content for now with seeking to extend her winning streak.
The emerging four-year-old showed she can stretch her brilliance to 1200m two weeks ago but Bjorn Baker is coming back a notch in trip to offset a 3kg weight rise into the Queen Bee Project Sprint (1100m).
Shezanalister, $5 with TAB on Thursday, has now won five of her 12 starts and Baker likes how the race appears to set up for her.
"We thought about nominating her for the stakes race but it was too tough at this stage so we'll be patient and see how she goes,'' Baker said.
"She's just a winner at the moment, she's doing everything right.
"She looks fantastic, I think she deserves another crack. She's got a good gate, Zac Lloyd can be positive and she handles all tracks so I'm not worried about that."
Baker said there's still room for improvement in the mare's racing manners, part of the reason for staying in Benchmark 78 grade, after she didn't help her cause at Randwick by being a shade scratchy away.
But he does like the way she knuckled down to her task of wearing down Tintookie, who has the attractive Our Kobison form, on the line.
"I thought she was game,'' he said.
"The one thing I thought she would do is nail the start which didn't quite work out so it was nice to see she was a little bit dynamic finishing off well.
"I'm sure she is going to get over further and I wouldn't be against 1300m or 1400m in time. If the track's demanding she's got that fitness."
A second-up tilt at the Group 1 Coolmore Classic is on Baker's mind for Renaissance Woman who resumes alongside stablemate Diamond Dealer in the Group 2 $300,000 Kia Millie Fox Stakes (1300m).
It's not lost on Baker that Renaissance Woman has an imposing second-up record, she won the Group 3 Angst last spring under that scenario, so is expecting her to show she's on track for the Coolmore in a few weeks.
"She's going super, her last trial was good and she actually jumped and travelled,'' Baker said.
"The 1300m is on the short side for her but she's a class mare on her day, I'd be hopeful maybe the track dries out a little bit and she can utilise that gate."
Diamond Dealer has the blinkers applied for the back-up from finishing fifth in the Triscay Stakes (1200m) last weekend, a run that disappointed the trainer a little.
"We'll look to be positive on her and try to get her out of the gates and travelling,'' he said.
"I thought she was okay, she sort of boxed on, on a demanding track if she can jump a bit better and we can use her a bit more I wouldn't be against that either."
The Warwick Farm trainer has made a habit of winning the final race at a race meeting in recent times and Rupertaar is his chance in the Kia Ora Stud Handicap (1300m).
She won four of her first six starts and hasn't won since May 2022 but Baker said she's shown this campaign, with three placings from four starts, she's not far away.
"Her work on Tuesday was probably as good as I've seen so from that point of view we're not anti her at all,'' he said.
"She's running really good races, she's a lot more consistent and probably a little stronger than she's been in the past."
