KEY POINTS:
Michelle Wallis believes her stable star can get beaten at Alexandra Park tonight - by her second stringer.
Wallis lines up Retail Therapy in the $15,000 main pace and he goes into the race with a string of wins after a remarkable winter comeback.
But the wins have come at a cost - a 40m price he will have to pay tonight. He faces starting off that backmark over 2200m because Wallis can not find another race for him.
"He needs racing to stay at his peak," said Wallis. "We are looking at the Spring Cup in two weeks and he can't go up against those horses without racing under his belt so we will be there on Friday, even though I think he will struggle to win.
"He might have had a chance over 2700m but not many horses win over 2200m from a 40m handicap."
That is not all bad news for Wallis, though, as she thinks Waihemo John, whom she also trains, can capitalise on Retail Therapy's big handicap.
"He is an underrated horse and I think this is his chance. He's a good standing start horse and I'd like to think he could settle close to the speed and be hard to beat."
The horse both have to beat could be Palomine, who looked set for a winning resumption last Friday until his fitness gave out. He will have derived great benefit from that outing and if he can step quickly looks well placed.
Wallis rates trotters Genius (race six) and Kiwi Kipper (race five) chances in tonight's $100,000 Pick6.
Genius returned to something like his best form with a crushing win last start but goes back 20m tonight.
"But he was slow away anyway last start so if he is right - which is always the question with him - he could test them again." Wallis has also been pleased with the attitude of stable newcomer Kiwi Kipper and says he can upset in race five.
"He galloped last week but to be fair wasn't an ideal horse for a junior driver's race. He had been trialling well before that."
The Pick6 anchor is St Barts, who resumed from a long break with a huge win last Friday night and meets a weaker field in race seven.
