KEY POINTS:
The best indication of how highly Susie Maguire is rated is that driver James Stormont thinks she can win her comeback race at Alexandra Park tonight.
Because for most three-year-old pacing fillies the challenge would border on impossible.
Susie Maguire was last season's freshman filly of the year and developed an affinity with Alexandra Park, where she won three of her four starts, finishing third in the Sales Series Final in the other.
But that record will be put to the test tonight when she faces an outside second line barrier draw over 2200m against tough, older pacers who have won as many as eight races.
That would normally be enough for a conservative judge like Stormont to be telling punters to steer away from Susie Maguire.
But surprisingly he doesn't.
"We all know it is going to be hard from there but I wouldn't say she can't win," said Stormont.
"She worked great on Wednesday morning and trialled very well down south last week. Sure, she is going to need some luck but she is a very good filly."
Three-year-old fillies having to start back in such a tough grade is a rarity under today's handicapping conditions, but Susie Maguire earned her four-win assessment by capturing top races last season, a feat which sees her start this season with $226,000 in earnings.
Susie Maguire is the early favourite for the feature fillies' races she faces in a hectic next month.
Not only does Susie Maguire clash with a trio of Geoff Small-trained runners tonight but the vastly-improved Flaunting The Faith, winner of his past two starts.
He is one of several winning chances tonight for trainer Steven Reid, who not only heads the premiership but has compiled a staggering .5824 strike rate.
Reid, however, opts for Cruzin Foralivin in race six, the second leg of the $100,000 Pick6, as his best winning chance tonight.
