"She's the biggest filly we've had and she's more like a three- or four-year-old," Dean said.

"We brought her along steadily because she is a big filly - and she's still growing - but she's very mature mind-wise.

"Everything we've asked her to do she's done it and this is where we are and she's exceeded expectations, really."

A Strategic grey picked up for just $20,000, Dean named the galloper after her late daughter, Lauren.

That outlay is dwarfed by the $150,000 cheque to the winner of today's race.

Elkaydee, primarily raced by a group of first-time owners, lost no admirers with a battling fifth behind the flying Catkins at Kembla on debut.

Veteran jockey Rod Quinn will be in the saddle after being unavailable for Elkaydee's much-anticipated first run.

"She was entitled to finish a lot further back, plus the winner, you would never have caught it," Dean said.

"We were quite happy with her that day. He's [Quinn] very patient and the 1200 is going to suit her even more than 1000m at this stage."

Dean defended the lucrative race, which has drawn criticism in some quarters for being restricted to graduates of the 2011 Sydney Classic Yearling Sale.

"If she made a two-year-old she did, if she didn't it didn't matter," Dean said. "It's a nice race to be in. She's paid up for it so why not attempt it?"

TAB Sportsbet had Elkaydee at $51 in its fixed-odds market last night. Gai Waterhouse's Snippetsboy was a $2.90 top pick.