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By Ray Hickson

After four seconds on end, and seven overall, you could forgive trainer Theresa Stair for wondering when honest mare Suva May’s turn will come.

But the five-year-old has only been in the Tamworth trainer’s care for five of her 16 starts and she hopes the stars are aligning for the Equus Members Join Now Plate (1500m) at Muswellbrook on Thursday.

It’s an extra 100m, after four consecutive starts at 1400m, and a favourable barrier that gives Stair some hope it’ll be sixth time lucky (in her care) but it’s very much a case of fingers crossed.

“She’s very consistent. Whether she wants to be a winner or always a bridesmaid I’m not sure,’’ she said.

“She has needed to go out in distance a little bit but I just wanted to make sure she was really fit before I stepped her out.

“Having a good barrier is nice, it’s the first time in a few starts. I thought she was very unlucky at Tamworth the other day.”

Suva May runs second at Tamworth on August 12

Suva May started favourite in the 1400m maiden at Tamworth on August 12 and after settling back from a wide gate she picked her way through the field behind a tearaway leader only to be stopped in her tracks nearing the 200m.

She knuckled slightly at that point before finishing strongly to get within 1-1/4 lengths of the winner Rain’s Gift. She's $2.20 with TAB (on Wednesday) to go one better at Muswellbrook.

“She’s her own worst enemy because she gets so far back,’’ Stair said.

“She jumps with the field but she doesn’t muster that speed once she jumps, then she’s got to come from behind.”

Stair has been involved in the racing industry for as long as she can remember, her mother Dawn Kelly was a trainer and she’s held her license since 2014.

She has four horses in work, two of those, including Suva May, came to her from owners Steve Blore and Suzy Cleland when fellow Tamworth trainer Luke Morgan decided to focus more on breaking and pre-training.

“Luke was training for the owners, he’s cut back on his training so that’s when Suva May and another horse called Backlash came to us,’’ she said.

“She had three seconds and two thirds before she arrived and I was quite excited that she was coming to me.”

All the fields, form and replays for Thursday’s Muswellbrook meeting