Racing: Tatts Tiara Kiwi trainer Robbie Patterson's main aim for stable star Coventina Bay in Brisbane

Trainer Robbie Patterson has shown commendable patience to wait until late in the Queensland carnival to launch Coventina Bay's Australian campaign. Photo / Race Images

Kiwi trainer Robbie Patterson believes he has the perfect horse to tackle Eagle Farm's glamour meeting in Brisbane on Saturday.

But he warns the A$200,000 Dane Ripper may not be the perfect race for his stable star Coventina Bay.

Patterson has shown commendable patience to wait until late in the Queensland carnival to launch Coventina Bay's Australian campaign, with the quality of opponents starting to drop away as racing gets to the tail end of the Group 1 season.

Coventina Bay proved she was a Group 1 mare in New Zealand when dead-heating for second behind Avantage in the Breeders Stakes at Te Rapa in April and Patterson could have entertained chasing a start in tomorrow's A$1.5 million Stradbroke, the signature race on the mammoth Eagle Farm programme.

Instead, he will stick to his guns with the A$600,000 Tatts Tiara on the Sunshine Coast his main aim in two weeks, with Saturday's race a starting point.

"This race is all about bringing her on for the Tatts but it doesn't mean she can't win," says Patterson.

"I think she is ideally suited to Eagle Farm. They seem to get to the middle of the track here and roll home hard late and that is her best racing style.

"She is really flying and her trackwork on Wednesday was excellent. I am just a little worried about it being 1300m because that is short of her best.

"So I can see her hitting the line really hard but maybe not being able to win."

Coventina Bay will be ridden by Samantha Collett, her usual New Zealand rider who partnered her when she bolted away with a Sunshine Coast trial last week.

"Sam has been here riding her in track work and couldn't believe how well she worked. So it will be exciting to see how she goes."

Coventina Bay is rated a $6-$7 chance as second favourite with most bookmakers in a field with plenty of Group 1 performers but few who would be considered to be at their peak.

Patterson and Collett will also combine in race three at Eagle Farm tomorrow with impressive last-start Te Rapa winner Puntura but he finds himself in a very serious race.

Although Puntura has won four races on end, he is rated a 20-1 chance because he is up against much-hyped former Kiwi galloper Ayrton, who was the futures favourite for the Stradbroke Handicap until his first career defeat last start.

Drawn the ace with James McDonald tomorrow, Ayrton is odds-on and Patterson admits he doesn't fancy his chance with Puntura.

"You wouldn't expect to run into a horse as good in Ayrton in a race like this, not when he was favourite for the Straddy at one stage," says Patterson.

"But I think our horse can go well and it should peak him for the Sunshine Coast Guineas in two weeks."

The other big New Zealand name on the card tomorrow is Rondinella, still owned here but trained in Sydney, who meets just six opponents in the A$400,000 Brisbane Cup.