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By Ray Hickson

There may not be the same boom on Intervarsity that her stablemate Clear Thinking carried into her city debut a month ago but co-trainer Paul Messara is confident the lightly raced mare has more than her share of talent.

Trainer Paul Messara (Pic: Steve Hart).

Messara, who co-trains with Leah Gavranich, voiced a small concern that the distance of Saturday’s TAB Highway (1200m) at Rosehill is at the bottom end of her powers but said there are other things in her favour as she strives to make it three from three.

Intervarsity, $2.40 with TAB on Thursday, posted two easy all the way wins at Muswellbrook back in November and Messara has found James McDonald to ride the mare.

“I think she has a fair bit of ability and I think 1200m is the bottom limit of where she’s going to be,’’ Messara said.

“She’s drawn a kind barrier, I think that will be perfect for her, we’ve got a nice rider on top.

“She’s fit and well, she’s a horse that will be more of a miler than a 1200m horse and we’ll find that out this prep.

“She still looks like she’s six months away, she hasn’t really furnished yet, but I think this preparation and the next one is where you’ll see her best. Her two wins were quite effortless.”

The four-year-old hasn’t raced since November due to a number small issues.

Messara said she would have been aimed at the Queensland winter carnival but every time she neared a trial she’d run a temperature or get a foot abscess and they’d need to start again.

There’s been no such problems this time around and Intervarsity warmed up with a come from behind win in a trial on her home track two weeks ago.

“It was a heavy track. I think she’s naturally fit enough to run out a solid 1200m, I didn’t think she needed a super hard trial,’’ he said.

“I wanted to start her at the 1200m on Saturday because if she doesn’t win that there’s another race in two weeks at 1300m.

“She doesn’t have to lead. The first time she half bolted, and the second time she just found the front from a good gate.

“If they’re running along at a good tempo she’ll be sitting in behind them.”

If Intervarsity is successful it will extend Messara and Gavranich’s Highway winning streak to four following wins by Clear Thinking (July 6), Know Thyself (June 15) and Rematch (June 1).

Messara revealed Clear Thinking has returned from her short break and while she’s second favourite for the $2m The Kosciuszko in October he’s yet to confirm she will be targeted at the race.

With the 14 slot winners drawn on September 11 there’s a bit of time for Messara to make a decision before those winners select their runners.

“We’re looking to have her up and rolling before the Kosciuszko and we’ll decide whether we want to go that way,’’ he said.

Intervarsity wins a trial at Scone on July 17

“I want to get some black type, in terms of her residual value for breeding down the track black type is the most important thing.”

Meanwhile, Know Thyself is likely out of The Kosciuszko picture with Messara preferring to give him a break following his game third in the Group 3 Winx Guineas last month.

“It’s hard to do everything,’’ he said.

“We’re going to give him a decent break now. I think we forget about the spring and concentrate on the autumn.”

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