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By Ray Hickson

You can only speculate where Within The Law would have finished in the Golden Slipper had she not parted ways with jockey Jason Collett.

Jockey Jason Collett (Pic: Bradley Photos).

For what it’s worth Collett believes she’d have been somewhere in the mix at the business end so he has to be confident she can be a major player in the Group 2 $1m The Star Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday.

Within The Law over reacted to brushing the running rail early in the Slipper and fortunately was unharmed as she galloped freely along the inside of the track while Collett was left with a bruised ego.

What he’s seen from the Bjorn Baker-trained filly since is a horse that has certainly been mentally unaffected and that tells him she can bounce back.

“I think how the Slipper played out she would have been in the top four or five finishing wise,’’ Collett said.

“Just from where she would have been on the track.

“We went down to the fence and she’s touched it, as happens in every race basically, and it was just the way she reacted.

"She started riding into the fence and went over it, her reaction was pretty unexpected. Somehow she got out of that very well.

“But she was good in her trial the other day, her confidence is high, she probably trialled the best she has.”

The filly, $4.80 with TAB on Friday, had won the Inglis Nursery, run second in the Millennium and won the Sweet Embrace prior to the Slipper.

A common denominator in her past three starts has been a wide barrier and having drawn a lot kinder draw in the Percy Sykes tells Collett we could see a different side to her.

“I like to think she will be able to use it to a certain degree. She won’t be giving it away,’’ he said.

“She’s gone back in her previous starts due to bad barriers so she’ll be able to hold a position this weekend.”

Collett is chasing a Group 1 Randwick mile double with Stefi Magnetica as she backs up from her Doncaster win in the $1m TAB Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m).

It was his eighth Group 1 win and while he has a healthy respect for Fangirl, Collett said she appears well placed to repeat the effort and if that’s good enough to win then so be it.

“It was a slowly run race and she sprinted up the last 400m, it wasn’t a hard run race and obviously they’re pretty confident she’s come through it,’’ he said.

“She wouldn’t have won if she didn’t hold a spot the other day.

“Obviously Fangirl will be the one to beat, she’s top level over these distances. Maybe the mile is her top but she’s a classy mare, my mare is on the way up.

“We’ve been fortunate to have good barriers these last two starts and we’ve been able to make use of them.”

Defending Sydney Cup champion Circle Of Fire is Collett’s mount in the $2 million staying test over 3200m and having ridden him all campaign he’s convinced he’s ready to peak.

The five-year-old ran fifth in the Tancred Stakes (2400m) third-up from a spell and drops 4kg on that but rises 3.5kg on his win last year. Against that, Collett said he’s a true two miler.

“I’m really happy with him, each of his runs have been great,’’ he said.

Within The Law runs second in a Rosehill trial on April 4

“Last start it was a bit of a muddling run race which didn’t really suit. The two miles is good, he’s coming into the race well I think.

“I think he’s a good chance even from the barrier.”

Jason Collett on Tupakara (race 1): “She wasn’t bad through the line last start and the horse that beat her will go up favourite next week. I felt like I was going to win the race until he left me standing. She did things the right way around last start and finished it off so if there’s improvement again into this run I think a mile should be fine but it is a question mark.”

All the fields, form and replays for Day 2 of The Star Championships at Randwick