Racing: Filly set to write ticket to Brisbane

Stephen Autridge has no doubt Authoress has the class to justify a hit-and-run-trip to Brisbane for the A$400,000 Queensland Oaks.

He's just not so sure if his luckless filly still has the gas left in the tank for one last shot at a three-year-old's ultimate group race prize.

Autridge will have a much clearer idea around 3.30pm today after Authoress contests the progressive 2000m event at Dargaville.

Win with authority, as most punters will expect, and she only needs to lick the feed bin clean to book a ticket to the June 4 classic.

Lose and she goes straight to the spelling paddock, reserved for richer pickings next season.

"There is that little question mark hanging over her that we might be getting carried away heading to Queensland," admits Autridge.

"She's been in the stable a long time and had a few starts in this campaign. We're just going to have to wait and see what happens at Dargaville."

Assuming she's still somewhere near peak, Authoress only needs the right breaks to win easily today.

Any horse who can overcome the obstacles she struck to push Tusker to a neck in the group two Sir Tristram Classic at Te Rapa three starts back wins this race by five lengths. Authoress was severely checked early that day, forced wide for the rest of the 2000m trip, and pulled up with a tendon cut so badly that Autridge feared he might lose the Fuji Kiseki filly for good. "We couldn't work her for a month after that - that's how bad the cut was," said Autridge.

A freshened Authoress resumed in a fillies and mares 1400m at Awapuni on April 16, but after settling back was never a hope of catching Hasta La Ciao Ciao in a sprint home. Next time out in a 2000m three-year-old event at Te Rapa, Authoress was carved up again in an early skirmish, this time so badly Noel Harris had no choice but to pull her out of the race.

"After that we put her in a 1400m trial at Cambridge to make sure she hadn't lost any of her confidence but she seems to be okay," said Autridge. "Coming back from 2000m I was rapt with how she went. She showed a good turn of foot so I'm hoping she can be somewhere midfield at Dargaville."

Mark Hills, who rode Authoress at the Cambridge trials on May 3, retains the mount. If Authoress delivers today she'll give the Autridge-Graeme Rogerson partnership an outside shot at the Queensland Oaks-Derby double.

Stablemate Cedar Manor is on the 5am Brisbane-bound flight tomorrow, with the A$250,000 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) on the Gold Coast on Saturday as a major Derby tune-up. "The distance should be ideal at this stage and I think he's pretty right after his last start third at Te Rapa," said Autridge. "He went through to win but only ran out of puff in the last 200m."