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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Lee Curtis can see no reason to deny in-form filly Flightcrew the chance to take another step up the ladder as she aims for a fourth win this preparation at Rosehill on Saturday.

The filly started this campaign as a maiden and Curtis, who trains in partnership with his wife Cherie, marvels as how she’s improved and how she’s held her condition after five runs this time in.

Flightcrew steps out of Midway grade in the Precise Air Handicap (1100m), where she opened $8 with TAB on Wednesday, and Curtis said while there was a Midway option next week the race fits in well on her home track from a favourable barrier.

“We’ve been saying to the owners if she shows any chinks in her armour we’ll put her out but she’s been perfect,’’ he said.

“She does seem very well, she worked along on Tuesday and was great. She just cruised up so we go in there confident she’s in a really good space.

“She’s just going ahead in leaps and bounds. To think she was a maiden when she started her prep and if she wins on Saturday she’ll go into the 70s.”

Key to Flightcrew’s rise through the grades has been discovering her appreciation for cover in her races.

Flightcrew wins at Rosehill on June 15

That was confirmed to Curtis two starts ago when Bailey Wheeler wasn’t able to find a back to follow after the filly drew wide, she raced outside the leader and boxed on to run third behind Yiska.

It was a different story two weeks ago when Molly Bourke took advantage of barrier two to slot Flightcrew into the box seat, then used an inside run to finish best to win.

“We raced her last prep and she probably just wasn’t developed,’’ Curtis said.

“Her form was okay but this prep we decided to make it important that she got cover in her races.

“If you give her a bit of cover in her race, even 150m of it, she seems to find the line just with that little rest.

“She’s got a fantastic constitution, a fantastic temperament, she’s got a turn of foot and she’s a fantastic filly to train.

“I think back to 1100m will suit in that there should be a bit of tempo and Molly knows just to get in behind one or two.”

Curtis said as her preparation has gone on it appears the filly is adapting to wet tracks, given her last start win and looking back on her second behind In Flight at Gosford six weeks ago.

She’ll meet In Flight again at Rosehill with a 5kg swing in the weights in her favour after Bourke’s 3kg claim.

“Tommy (Berry) rode her at Gosford and I asked what he thought about the going and he said he thought she’d be better on top of the ground,’’ he said.

“She went on a worse track after that (when winning last start) and she seemed to improve handling it.”

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