"For a start, it means she settled straight into the stables here at Andrew Grant's place like she was at home, which means her prep isn't interrupted at all.
"And it also means we have no worries about the track. She has been here at two and won and then again in December.
"And we have learnt from those experiences as well.
"Probably the biggest thing is that up here at Alexandra Park, when you are in good fields you have to get handy.
"The speeds they go here you can't come wide and the leaders don't often come back to you."
That suggests driver John Dunn will be putting Venus Serena into the race, if not straight away at the start, well before the bell.
The Dunns (Geoff is John's uncle), remember what happened on the two occasions they were forced to drive Venus Serena back in the field in Alexandra Park features.
She was beaten attempting it in the Sales Final last season and then never got into the race, running unplaced in the Sires Stakes on New Year's Eve.
So the question is whether any of her rivals would try to park her and make life difficult should she come knocking early tonight.
In a group one, the first time these fillies have raced over 2700m and with the fact Venus Serena paced a 1:52.2 mile last start, the answer is probably no.
Still, there is enough talent in Snooki, Rocknroll Arden, Lancewood Lizzie and Ideal Belle for Venus Serena to be vulnerable if she does have to work harder than punters expect.
For all Snooki's outstanding form, Ideal Belle could be as good an each-way chance for the race as she is likely to be driven cold, which means she could be out of play with a lap to go or sitting off a hot speed with a big finishing kick.
The tempo probably decides her chances.
While Venus Serena is a great filly she only narrowly shades Tiger Tara as Dunn's stable star, with the Sires' Stakes winner suffering his first defeat of the season when luckless in a track record 1:51.9 mile at Addington last start.
He makes his Alexandra Park debut in tonight's Derby prelude and while he has only five rivals all are top class, so Dunn says the race could be a trap.
"It is a funny one because he has settled in great and I couldn't be happier with him," he says.
"But you have all these top horses together and like I said with the filly, you can't afford to be giving them a start.
"Being his first time on this track I doubt he will lead so we might be left having to pace 55 seconds [last 800m] to keep up.
"So, I'll be interested to see how he goes but this is a good crop and I don't think any horse can work and win in this grade."
Oaks Night
What: The start of Auckland Cup week.
Where: Alexandra Park.
When: Tonight, first race 5.55pm.
Who: Best 3-year-old pacing fillies in Pascoes Oaks; open pacers in City of Auckland free-for-all; 3-year-old males in Derby prelude.
