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By Ray Hickson

There’s two million reasons for trainer Jamie Richards to campaign exciting mare Entriviere in Sydney this spring but he concedes she faces a test to win first-up at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Jamie Richards (Pic: Bradley Photos)

The leading Kiwi trainer selected the five-year-old to be aimed at the inaugural $2m The Invitation (1400m) run on October 23 as he feels she’ll be best suited under the conditions of the race should she prove herself worthy of an invite.

The Invitation is for fillies and mares, run under set weights and penalties, and the 12 runners will be selected as the race’s name suggests.

Richards may have the likes of Epsom winner Probabeel and the multiple Group 1 winner Avantage in his camp but said they would likely be disadvantaged at the weights so aimed them elsewhere.

“Probabeel and Avantage have probably won too many Group 1s so they are right at the thick end of it at the weights whereas with Entriviere we can sneak into the race on a nice weight,’’ he said.

“She’s got great form, she’s had seven starts and been beaten twice.

“On those occasions she’s run second sitting deep in one and had a nightmare run in the other. I don’t think there’s any doubt she’s good enough to be there.

“She’s a very competitive mare. We think she is a mare with real speed and real ability. Although Saturday looks to me a hard race to win it should give her a nice grounding for hopefully a good preparation.”

Entriviere’s only start in Australia was back on April 17 and she drew the outside in a field of 14 and was narrowly defeated by Fasika in the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes (1200m).

She’s been handed the visitor’s draw again and will jump from near the outside in a capacity field in the Group 3 $160,000 Bowermans Commercial Furniture Toy Show (1100m) and as much as that frustrates Richards he said the preparation needs to begin.

Despite the draw and top weight of 59kg, Entriviere was $3.40 favourite with TAB on Thursday.

Richards said the mare arrived in Sydney in good shape on Monday, with stablemate Sword Of Stone, and settled in well. Though she was found to be mildly lame on Thursday morning with the trainer hopeful she can take her place

“I think she is where she needs to be for 1100m,’’ Richards said.

“At the beginning of a nice preparation with a bit of weight on our back we’ll take our time and certainly be telling the stewards we’ll be riding for cover.

“So we’ll be conservative but leave it up to James (McDonald), he’s the best in the business. We’re looking forward to the weekend but they’re not making it easy for us.”

Entriviere trialled twice in New Zealand prior to making the trip, the latest of them an easy all the way win over 900m at Ellerslie on August 3.

Richards said she’ll look to earn her place in The Invitation via races like the Group 2 $200,000 Sheraco Stakes (1200m) on September 11 and the Group 2 $400,000 Golden Pendant (1400m) on September 25.

Entriviere runs second at Randwick on April 17

Meanwhile, Group 1 winning colt Sword Of State will trial at Randwick on Friday ahead of his local debut in next week’s Group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) at Kembla Grange.

The three-year-old contests an 850m trial alongside Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside and TAB Everest runner Lost And Running.

“We’ve got Stay Inside in the trial on Friday so we’re going to get a good line on where the horse is at,’’ Richards said.

“If we’re good enough to keep in touch hopefully it will set us up for a good preparation.”

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