Kembla Grange hopes Gemmahra and fairytale horse Prince Aurelius will be locked in the speed battle in Saturday's $500,000 Provincial Championships final at Royal Randwick.
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The Gwenda Markwell-trained five-year-old mare has been kept fresh, with just the one tick-over trial since qualifying with victory at Hawkesbury on March 6.
Prince Aurelius is three weeks between starts, having taken out the Gosford heat and would make it five in a row for Tyrone Coyle, who works the four-year-old gelding out of Brett Lazzarini's stables. A Maiden win at Moruya in September was followed by the string of victories leading into the final.
"This is the first horse I've ever bred," Coyle told SEN Track on Thursday.
"I did have one before be he didn't make it to the track, so to come this far, the development of the horse is the exciting part.
"I was over the moon to win a race at Moruya, that was a fantastic day just winning that.
"Because I'm a realist, I actually understand how hard it is to win a race anywhere."
Prince Aurelius, with Robbie Brewer aboard, will jump from barrier nine and potentially lock horns with Gemmahra and Electric Girl chasing the lucrative prizemoney.
The market was blown wide open on Friday, after Kim Waugh's favourite Great News was scratched due to a crack to the off fore hoof and bruising.
Pandano is the new favourite at $3, with Gemmahra at $10 and Prince Aurelius $13.
After an 800m trial at Kembla Grange last week, jockey Keagan Latham said Gemmahra was ready for battle.
"She's pretty straight forward, she loves to do her thing out in front," he said.
"I didn't get too serious, I just let her feel comfortable and she feels like she's ready to race now."
With Glen Boss on board, Gemmahra will jump from gate four and set the early tempo.
Coyle was wary of finding the lead at all costs.
"If I could lead without having to cut my boy in half, yes, I would," Coyle said.
"But it's not going to be a be-all and end-all, they're all good horses and if you do it too hard, you're going to set the race up for someone like Pandano. Hopefully some sense will come into the race, it'll be a fast run race, but I don't want to be giving it to the backmarkers."
Completing the trio of Kembla Grange-trained chances is Robert and Luke Price's Liveinthefastlane.
The five-year-old mare has had a disrupted preparation after being set for the Kembla Grange qualifier, which was transferred to Goulburn because of heavy rain and then postponed anyway.
The heat was eventually run a week later, where Liveinthefastlane snuck into the field by running third behind La Jolie Fille and Darleb.
The Provincial Championships final jumps at 12.40pm on Saturday.
Think It Over ready to rise to challenge
Kerry Parker is adamant Think It Over is fit and firing for the Queen Elizabeth after being dramatically scratched from the Doncaster Mile.
The five-year-old gelding slots into the small field, taking on two of the genuine superstars of the track in William Haggas import Addeybb and Chris Waller's Verry Elleegant.
The 2000m showdown had been on Parker's mind before the Doncaster, but quickly became his main focus after hurting a hind leg in the float on the way to the track on Saturday.
"He's got the form, he's a Group 1 winner and deserves his shot," Parker said.
"After missing the Doncaster he's got the fresh legs now being three weeks between runs."
Meanwhile, after missing out on the Provincial Championships final, Parker takes Tampering to Saturday's Benchmark 68 (1400m) at Kembla Grange.
Tampering was sixth behind Pandano in the Newcastle heat then swamped late for seventh in the Kembla Grange qualifier.
"He had five weeks between runs there, but he's come through well and finds a nice suitable race here," Parker said.
Three-year-old filly Sweet Rosetta will be out to break her maiden at the sixth attempt in a field of seven over 1500m to start the day.
Sweet Rosetta was an eye-catching fourth last start over 1200m.
"She's doing everything right and small field will suit," he said.
"She just got well back on the turn there, but she'll like stepping out in distance."
The first at Kembla Grange jumps at 12.24pm.
Oaks raid plan for Star filly
Talented filly Star Point's likely target will be the Queensland Oaks after last Saturday's smart fourth in the Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes.
The Gwenda Markwell-trained three-year-old was seventh, but just 2.4 lengths off Miravalle when caught in the ruck in the Kembla Grange Classic.
She then followed it up with a Benchmark 64 win over the mile, before stepping up to 2000m, finishing 2.5 lengths off Edward Cummings' Duais and Mark Newnham's Bargain in the Adrian Knox.
"This filly just ran super," jockey Glen Boss said afterwards.
"She's just a lovely filly, she wants to please you, she goes in there and gives you every opportunity.
"She doesn't possess a massive turn of speed, but she possesses a lot of heart and really wants to keep finding the line."
The Queensland Oaks is a $600,000 Group 1 run in June and has been won by the great Winx, as well as Melbourne Cup champion Ethereal.
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Tim Barrow
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
