If at first you don't succeed, try, try again is a practice that the connections of Devise are taking to the extreme.
The Cambridge filly has finished in the money in her last four starts with the winner on each occasion coming from the powerful stable of Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman.
Devise was runner-up to Nicoletta in the Desert Gold Stakes, third behind Bonneval in the Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic and the Lowland Stakes and last time out she was second to the Makfi filly in the New Zealand Oaks.
The pair will clash again in today's A$1 million Australian Oaks at Randwick with Devise's trainer Shaune Ritchie conceding that his charge needs to lift to another level to turn the tables.
"We've got to try and work out how to stop the Baker-Forsman freight train," he said. "Devise has edged closer to Bonneval in her last three starts, but Murray Baker seems to find two lengths each time he puts them on a plane.
"My filly does have a great constitution though and she hasn't gone backwards since the Oaks so I know she'll put in again."
"She arrived in great nick and she had a quiet 1200 metres at Randwick on Thursday morning for a good look around," he said.
Damien Oliver will ride The Oaks Stud-bred and raced Devise.
Meanwhile, David Brideoake is hoping his New Zealand-bred filly Nurse Kitchen can go one better at the top level today. The Mornington trainer produced the Savabeel filly to finish runner-up in the Vinery Stud Stakes and at Randwick she will take aim at the Australian Oaks.
Brideoake said the barrier was not ideal, but getting Nurse Kitchen into a good position would be Blake Shinn's job. "What can you do? That's his problem now."
- NZ Racing Desk