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By Ray Hickson

It's fair to say that Icebath is one of the country’s most talented mares - she’s won over $3.7 million in prizemoney and has been twice a Group 1 runner-up.

Plus she had that near miss in the Golden Eagle. But she is still to win at stakes level.

Trainer Brad Widdup (Pic: Bradley Photos)

That’s an anomaly trainer Brad Widdup hopes to correct at Randwick on Saturday when the mare tackles the Group 2 $200,000 Guy Walter Proven Thoroughbreds Stakes (1400m).

It’s a race that seems tailor made for Icebath – she’s second-up off a slashing return at weight-for-age, she strikes a wet track and she’s thrown in under the set weights and penalties conditions with 54kg given she’s a black type maiden.

“It’s incredible really. She’s nearly won a Doncaster and a Cantala,’’ Widdup said.

“But it is what it is. I’d love to get that Group win on the board, I think she thoroughly deserves it.”

“This race fits in well and she has a good weight. I’m sure if things go her way she’ll be bloody hard to beat.”

The market agrees, the mare was $2.25 favourite with TAB on Wednesday to improve on her third placing in the race a year ago.

What didn’t go Icebath’s way isn’t unusual – she drew the outside alley again. While it’s a source of frustration for the trainer, the horse herself doesn’t seem to mind because she’s usually somewhere in the finish.

She won the inaugural $2m The Invitation from the outside alley at the Randwick 1400m in the spring, and drew 14 when beaten a narrow margin in the Group 1 Cantala Stakes at Flemington.

The five-year-old jumped from gate 12 of 13 when was beaten just over four lengths by Think It Over in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) first-up two weeks ago.

“It was a fantastic run, the sectionals suggest it was, and she came through it very well,’’ Widdup said.

“From where she was she had no chance. It’s going to be tactical again, it’s disappointing she keeps drawing bad barriers. Hopefully it keeps her out of trouble.”

Icebath clocked a last 600m of 34.18 (Punter’s Intelligence) in the Apollo. She ran the fastest 400m-200m in the race of 10.99 and she just knocked up late with an 11.94 final 200m.

That suggests there is improvement to come and staying at 1400m on a wet track is the right move according to the Hawkesbury trainer. Plus, he's secured James McDonald for the ride.

“I didn’t want to go to a mile just yet so early in the preparation,’’ he said.

“Her next two or three runs are going to be at a mile so I didn’t want to go second-up a mile because it could make her dour.”

After carrying 50.5kg into second behind Cascadian in the 2021 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile, Icebath was allotted 51.5kg for this year's edition run on April 2.

The barrier gods didn’t shine on stablemate Switched who has the outside marble in the Midway Handicap (1100m).

Switched hasn’t won since October 2020 but she showed a glimpse that she’s getting back to form beaten just 1.4 lengths at Canterbury third-up. She’s also only missed a placing once on a heavy track.

Icebath's first-up run in the Apollo Stakes on February 12

“It does make it a bit hard. She’ll get the conditions she likes but the draw makes it hard for her,’’ Widdup said.

Youngster Fun Sunday isn’t expected to cause too much trouble in the Group 2 $200,000 Furphy Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) but she does have a heavy track placing from her only start back in December.

Widdup said it’s worth giving her some exposure to a higher grade.

“I’m probably aiming a bit high at this stage but I think she will be a nice filly for the future,’’ he said.

“A little bit of exposure won’t hurt her and will toughen her up a bit. She showed no early speed (on debut) and hit the line really well so it will toughen her up and I’d say she will hit the line well again.”

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