Racing: Collection Girl ready for change of luck

If it is true that the best horses are the ones cursed with the cruellest setbacks then Collection Girl could be a potential top-liner.

Twice now her Matamata trainer Katrina Alexander has had to ease off the exciting Last Tycoon mare; once for a fetlock chip operation, then a nasty fall in a float.

But at Te Aroha today, Alexander hopes a near-peak Collection Girl can finally put that bad luck behind her in the feature, the R92 Ecolab 1400.

"She is racing out of her grade but we do rate her ability a bit so we haven't minded asking that question of her," said Alexander.

"She went nicely fresh-up but she has definitely improved with the run under her belt."

Alexander's only concern is the weather. If bustled by rider David Walsh she expects the small-strider will cope with a rain-affected track.

While nursed through her fresh-up run for sixth at Matamata a fortnight back, Collection Girl coped well enough with the soft conditions.

But Alexander believes she needs a surface no worse than dead if she is to show the same kind of zip that won her 1400m at Hastings on New Year's Day in 1: 21.8.

If all goes to plan, Collection Girl can also win Alexander a $14,000 TRAC bonus for training three or more winners today.

Alexander, who banked a $6000 jackpot for the same feat at Te Aroha last October, has just two other runners, Sosweetsofine and Floral Star, but rates both winning chances.

Her R76 highweight hope Sosweetsofine (race three) had everything go wrong when seventh last time out at Te Rapa on March 18.

With the pace on from the jump Alexander is confident the Grosvenor mare can live up to her reputation.

She ran a smart time in winning over 2100m against stronger R76 opposition two starts back at Te Rapa.

"I've really only put her in the highweight because that's all that's around for her over ground," said Alexander, who has one of the best strike rates of the leading trainers this season.

"I do rate her better than that class."

While expected to benefit from the run in the next, maiden stablemate Floral Star should also live up to the promise he showed in his last campaign. "He couldn't quite find that final gear last time in but he's a lot stronger now," said Alexander.