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By Ray Hickson

A Group 1 reward awaits in-form mare Mariamia if she can continue on her winning way in Saturday’s Group 2 $250,000 Rosehill Bowling Club Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens.

Trainer Joe Pride (Pic: Bradley Photos)

The six-year-old has been a revelation in the early part of 2023, taking trainer Joe Pride aback somewhat, with her graduation from a Benchmark 88 win first-up to weight-for-age success in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes three weeks ago.

Pride said a hat-trick will earn Mariamia her chance at a Group 1 sometime in March.

“I thought I’d have no problems winning some black type races for mares with her,’’ Pride said.

“I didn’t see her coming out, albeit it wasn’t a vintage Expressway field, and doing that but it was still a really good win and she broke the clock. I didn’t see that coming.

“When horses are going well they can surprise. She’s had two trials, two races and she’s won all of them. She’s just in that winning frame of mind.

“She’d have to win but it’s either the Canterbury Stakes (1300m) in two weeks or freshen up four weeks into the Galaxy (1100m).”

If Mariamia, $1.90 with TAB on Thursday, is to take her Rosehill record to four from four she’ll have to do it from the outside barrier.

That’s not foreign to the mare, however, as she needed a clever ride from Tim Clark to offset an awkward gate in the Expressway. But Pride is comfortable with how it appears things will unfold.

“There’s basically four speed horses and however they sort it out there’s going to be two pairs up front,’’ he said.

“I’m pretty comfortable with her in any one of those forward positions. I don’t think she will be leading but if she’s outside the lead or one of the spots in behind I’m pretty relaxed about it.

“It should pan out nicely for her and she hasn’t taken a step backwards.”

Pride talks with an air of confidence about Mariamia and he says rightly so given the Mille Fox conditions.

“It’s a funny situation in racing when you figure as you go through a prep you go up in grade but she can probably afford to come back off the mark she ran the other day,’’ he said.

“The market tells you I’ve found the right race. It’s a set weights race and she just needs to maintain that form to be the one to beat and I’m comfortable she’s done that.”

The Warwick Farm trainer is hoping Party For One can find her own winning groove in the ACY Securities Handicap (1100m) after an encouraging first-up run.

She’s only won once in 15 starts but her fast finishing second behind Never Second over 1000m on Australia Day was confirmation to Pride that the four-year-old is in good spirits this preparation.

Mariamia wins at Rosehill on January 28

“She was disappointing last preparation, she didn’t put her best foot forward,’’ he said.

“This time around everything is going to plan other than winning and that’s what she desperately needs.

“They’ll go nice and quick, a good draw should enable her to sit in a pretty good position and she should be hard to beat given a bit of luck.”

Meanwhile, Pride said emerging galloper Think About It will head to either the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) on Saturday week or the Group 3 Newcastle Stakes (1400m) on March 3.

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