Racing: Feature favourite untried in mud

Perth raider Luckygray remains favourite for the A$220,000 ($284,600) P B Lawrence Stakes today, despite a question mark over his ability in the wet.

Caulfield was rated in the heavy range on Thursday, with further rain forecast leading into the weekend.

Luckygray has never raced on ground worse than dead and trainer Gino Poletti says he has no real guide on how the $3.20 TAB Sportsbet favourite will handle the mud.

He is instead relying on the influence of Luckygray's dam, who is by noted wet track sire Mukaddamah, and the racing adage that grey horses run well in the wet. "I'm banking on the Mukaddamah mare and him being grey," Poletti said, with a laugh.

"I can't change the fact he hasn't been on it before so we'll just go into the race knowing he's fit and well and see what happens.

"But he will be very competitive if he gets through the wet."

Luckygray has built an imposing record in Perth where he has won 10 of his 13 starts.

But he is perhaps best known in the eastern states as the galloper who was controversially awarded last year's group one Railway Stakes on protest after New Zealander He's Remarkable was first past the post.

That race is again high on Luckygray's programme this year, which is likely to restrict his Victorian campaign to just two or three starts.

"He's still a bit immature so we'll stay for the Memsie and let the horse tell us after that," Poletti said.

Bletchingly Stakes winner Ready To Rip is second favourite for the group two feature at $5, ahead of Cox Plate placegetter Rekindled Interest ($5.50) and Heart Of Dreams ($6).

-AAP