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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Kristen Buchanan could easily have claimed on her promising filly Winning Proposal as she chases successive city wins at Randwick on Saturday but she sees Nash Rawiller as providing a big advantage to her chances.

Trainer Kristen Buchanan (Pic: Bradley Photos).

Rawiller, who is aiming to chase down James McDonald’s lead in the Jockeys Premiership, rode the youngster to victory at Warwick Farm last Wednesday week.

Winning Proposal, $2.50 with TAB on Friday, concedes 3kg or more to the field in the Petaluma Handicap (1100m) but Buchanan feels Rawiller offsets some of that at least.

“She’s a lovely filly, I feel bad for her that she keeps getting 59kg but she handled it last start and at least I can get Nash on with that weight,’’ she said.

“She’s only a little slip of a thing but she’s very game.

“I thought Nash did what he needed to do but didn’t knock her around as much and she pulled up very well from it.”

The Wyong trainer showed her hand a little with Winning Proposal by running her in the Inglis Millennium at her second race start and she stood up by running fourth behind Fully Lit.

She said what the filly has in her favour is that she’s showing attributes beyond her young age and while her plans are being kept to herself for now she can’t hide her excitement about the future.

“I’m starting to formulate a plan for her going forward, one step at a time but she’s a very nice filly,’’ she said.

“She’s just so composed, she can be a little hot under the collar but when you take her to race day she’s more mature than some of our five-year-olds.

“It’s such an asset in a two-year-old and you’ve got to make the most of that.

“I don’t get my hands on too many natural two-year-olds. She wasn’t an early foal, she doesn’t look like an early type, she’s a little bit of a surprise package but has kept taking the right steps.”

While Winning Proposal has proven heavy track form, Buchanan said she’ll have the fingers crossed that stablemate Chevron can sail through the ground in the Robrick Lodge Eremein Handicap (1300m).

The colt hasn’t seen a heavy track and while that’s not what the trainer would prefer for him she said he needs to get back to the races having not started since finishing 13th in that strong form race won by Elson Boy at Scone in May.

“He’s not a big fan of wet tracks and it’s getting hard to dodge them,’’ she said.

“I’m not eliminating wet tracks for him but I’ve been trying wait for a dry one.

“He’s ready to go and it’s a nice small field, it’s his benchmark rating, but if he’s disappointing he’ll go to the paddock.”

Buchanan had options at Randwick and Grafton on Sunday for Delexo but said the Midway Handicap (1200m) holds some appeal.

Winning Proposal scores at Warwick Farm on June 26

A Midway winner at Randwick back in January, Delexo carried 62.5kg into third place at Dubbo on June 19 at his second run from a break.

“I like the wide draw for him,’’ she said.

“He likes to get rolling so from an outside gate if he does miss the kick he can blend into the race and not be tucked in on the fence and not able to get out.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting