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A steaming hot TAB Highway at Royal Randwick on Saturday has the attraction of early Newhaven Park Country Championships qualifying trainers, half the field as last start winners, and among them Bridie’s Luck at great value ($15 to $26 on TAB).
Albury doyen Ron Stubbs, with the diminutive dual winning mare, is coming off his finest career achievement after combining with riding great Craig Williams for a TAB treble at his home track two weeks ago.
Where Stubbs, a Saturday grade winner in three states over two decades, won his second successive regional qualifier with Bianco Vilano.
Mudgee's Mack Griffith, with strongly fancied Compelling Truth ($4.60 to $5) and James McDonald in Saturday's TAB Highway, finished second in the Central Districts qualifier with Musical Affair to contest the lucrative $1m Final at headquarters on April 6.
For Saturday's super support to six Group races, multiple Highway winner Stubbs after an early form perusal was ultra-cautious with lightly raced Bridie's Luck; a Written Tycoon protégé.
A winner of two of three starts and up in grade significantly into a $120,000 Class 3, 1000m episode with 54kg, continuing a lengthy Riverina association with Tyler Schiller.
"As strong a Highway as I've been in, for us it's more a throw at the stumps up in grade with a mare in form as they generally hold it," Stubbs offered.
"We'd also nominated for a far easier race at Wagga on Tuesday, but we're coming up while she's eligible in winning form and for the level of prizemoney.
"But it's a hot race, 900m speed and those bigger regional stables who know what it takes to win them.
"You won't miss this mare, she'll be the smallest in the enclosure, not much of her at all.
"That's why she's only had the three starts at four, lightly framed and immature. We gave her a lot more time to develop.
"But she's had no issues, always been promising and has natural speed."
So, can her speed, upside and perfect gate be the leveller against experience and stronger form?
Bridie's Luck won a modest Corowa Maiden in July then resumed off a trial to win a steady Wagga Wagga BM 58, 1000m by near three lengths in fast time. How that form stands up?
"Upside, inside gate, Tyler, we do have some favours," Stubbs added.
"There's 900m speed in this field, so no guarantee she can lead the stronger grade, but I think she can be just as effective with a sit."
While the 57.17 secs winning time at Wagga Wagga's 1000m compared favourably with the 56.10 track record, the second horse Mr Brown Fox is a 61 start nine-year-old.
Logically the form around the Cavanough's Once Again My Girl TAB ($4.60 into $3.60 favourite), and Griffith's Compelling Truth with J-Mac and the unbeaten Perennial ($4.60 into $4) dominate the markets.
Cavanough's mare ran second to the Matt Dunn's Saturday grader Derry Grove while Compelling Truth after winning easily at Dubbo won by near "six" at Tamworth in fast time. Perennial is unbeaten in three starts.
Headquarters is a Soft 5 present in hot conditions but occasional showers are forecast for raceday.
