Lance O’Sullivan’s Molly Bloom eyes victory in Brisbane’s The Roses

Molly Bloom (nearside) is running in today’s A$300,000 The Roses at Doomben in Brisbane.

Trainer Lance O’Sullivan is hoping for two totally different tracks for his only two racing reps today and he looks likely to get his wish.

O’Sullivan and training partner Andrew Scott have their standout filly Molly Bloom in today’s A$300,000 The Roses at Doomben in Brisbane but only one starter in New Zealand with Highlighter contesting the first race at Pukekohe.

O’Sullivan says the drier the better for Molly Bloom while the wetter Pukekohe is the more it will suit Highlander when she takes on flying machine Johny Johny in a quickfire start to the day.

“Highlighter is going great and she is the only horse we have racing in New Zealand all weekend,” said O’Sullivan.

“She loves it heavy, the wetter the better, and I’d be a bit confident with her if Johny Johny wasn’t in there.

“But he is very fast for this grade and, if he gets an easy time in front, which he might in a five-horse field, then we might be flat catching him.”

Pukekohe was rated Heavy yesterday and, while it was a great drying surface during the summer, racetracks rarely dry anywhere near as much at this time of the year.

If Molly Bloom needs a better track to show her NZ 1000 Guineas-winning best, she is on target to get it, with Doomben a Soft 6 for much of this week and no rain expected in Brisbane before tomorrow’s race.

Molly Bloom was a fast-finishing second to Amazonian Lass in the Gold Coast Bracelet last start in an effort that thrilled O’Sullivan.

“We knew she would be better for that run and the track was heavier than she likes but she has bounced out of it really well.

“I think she will get the track to suit and, from barrier 4 and up to 2000m, she should be able to sit closer than she has at times this season.

“We are confident she will run well and, while there may still be some improvement in her for the Queensland Oaks in two weeks, we see no reason she can’t win.”

Molly Bloom will have Blake Shinn, who rode her to win the Eight Carat Classic at Pukekohe on Boxing Day, back on her today. The booking is no reflection on Opie Bosson’s ride last start, with the owners having asked Shinn to take the ride before her Australian debut.

Fellow Kiwi filly Moonlight Magic is also in The Roses but was third emergency yesterday and looks unlikely to get a run.

Her trainer Andrew Forsman should have more joy at Pukekohe where Mary Shan, who ran Molly Bloom to a head in that Eight Carat Classic, looks perfectly placed in R2 today if she cops the track.

The feature at Pukekohe is the $100,000 Staphanos Champagne Stakes, which has black-type status as a Listed race but has drawn only one previous race winner in Star Shadow.

Her win came on a Heavy 8 at Ōtaki and, while she was well beaten in a nice field at Te Rapa last start, today’s race is a drop in grade so she has opened very short, more through a lack of creditable opposition.

Today’s other meeting is at Trentham but the real highlight on this side of the Tasman this weekend may come at Woodville tomorrow when champion jumper West Coast returns to steeplechasing for the first time this campaign.

The wonderful chaser has to carry 73kg in the $60,000 Manawatu Steeples but he shouldered that weight to win the Great Northern at Te Rapa last September and his flat form this time suggests he is ready to do so again, with the biggest query being whether the track is drier than he likes.