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By Ray Hickson

Sweet Deal has just three shots left to fire in her racing career but trainer John Thompson says while the mare always improves with a run she’s forward enough for her return at Randwick on Saturday to push her case for a call up into the $2m The Invitation.

John Thompson with his TAB Hunter trophy. (Pic: Steve Hart)

Since her third, demoted from second on protest, in the Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara in June, the mare has been served by Zoustar and will race in foal for her final preparation.

That begins in the Group 3 $200,000 The Nivision (1200m), Thompson hopes The Invitation (1400m), on October 23, is her second-up run and her swansong will be a defence of the $1m The Hunter (1300m) at Newcastle in November.

“She always improves with one run but she is forward enough to run well over 1200m,’’ Thompson said.

“She’s such a big mare nothing gets her fit like racing. She’s in the 90 per cent range somewhere but she’s not going to be 100 until she has one run.”

A wide barrier in the Nivision doesn’t help Sweet Deal’s cause but Thompson said she’s well weighted with 56.5kg and the impression jockey Nash Rawiller has given him from both her trials, one before she was served and one after, is positive.

It’s often said a mare racing in foal, which they can do for 120 days from the date of covering, can bring out the best in them and from what Thompson has seen recently he hopes that’s the case with Sweet Deal.

“Not that she’s ever been bad but she just seems more content,’’ he said.

“She looks amazing, she’s big and strong, and Nash said after the first trial she feels better than ever. After the second trial he said ‘I’m not changing my statement’. Between the two trials she went to Scone for four or five days so she missed a bit of work.

“He was trying to give her an easy trial but she still trialled really well. I think she has come on from that and her work (Tuesday) morning was winning work.

“Set weights and penalty races are perfect for her. She’s won a few Group races which you don’t get too much of a penalty for.”

The seven-year-old, $9.50 with TAB on Wednesday, resumed at 1400m last preparation and was tried at 1500m in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic.

Thompson said that proved a bit beyond her distance wise and her Group 1 placing last start said she’s at her best up to 1400m which gives him confidence for upcoming races like The Invitation and The Hunter.

“We went up in distance to the 1500m trying to win a Group 1 and it wasn’t her go,’’ he said.

“Her first run in Queensland was super, I left her up there and she got away from a bit and in the second run she blew out on me. I bought her back to Sydney to make sure she was right and she ran super in the Group 1.

“If she can reproduce that form we’ll be cooking with gas. We’ll get a good track, which is what she’s best on.”

The Randwick trainer has dual representation in the Group 3 $160,000 Angst Stakes (1600m) with More Prophets and Le Lude both coming through the Mona Lisa and Tibbie Stakes.

Sweet Deal runs third in a Randwick trial on September 24

More Prophets won the former but a slow start cost her when finishing ninth at Newcastle so Thompson is more than happy to forgive that as he tests her distance limits on Saturday.

“I think we just put a line through that run. She missed the kick badly and got back in a slowly run race,’’ he said.

“She had a week in the paddock and on the water walker and she’s come back ready to rip in.

“We’re having a crack at the mile to see how she runs that out on a big track. It’ll give us a guide on what to aim at next prep. All indications are the way she was running out the races she was winning she should run it out well.”

Le Lude finished fifth in both mares features and Thompson said those races were well short of her best trip so is confident she can be competitive.

“She’s an honest mare and she will run well again. The 1400m was probably a bit short of her best so up to a mile suits,’’ he said.

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