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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Luke Pepper will more than likely rule Opal Ridge out of contention for The Kosciuszko if she performs to his expectation on her return at Randwick on Saturday.

Luke Pepper (Pic: Bradley Photos)

While no decision has been made about last year’s runner-up in the $2 million country feature, Pepper is keen to let prospective slot winners know his intentions in the lead up to when the 14 winners are drawn on September 11.

Opal Ridge sits on the third line of betting in TAB’s pre-noms market at $8 for The Kosciuszko so the Scone trainer is well aware she will likely be a popular choice and that there’ll be plenty of attention on her effort in the Group 3 $250,000 James Squire Toy Show Quality (1100m).

“We will make an announcement before the tickets are drawn on which direction we’re going,’’ Pepper said.

“If she was a gelding it’d be a no-brainer, she’d be going straight to the Kosciuszko.

“But being a mare stakes wins mean so much to her.

“We’ve got to build her profile for the breeding barn, you don’t get many chances at stakes level with these mares so you’ve got to try and make the most of it.

“My feeling is if she’s going well and we’re happy with her she will run in the Sydney Stakes on the same day.

“We’ve kept all options open and we’ll make a decision after we get her back to the races. If she comes out and wins she definitely won’t run in the Kosciuszko.”

The Group 3 Sydney Stakes (1200m) is run over the same course as the Kosciuszko on Everest Day and is also worth $2 million.

Pepper isn’t sure what went wrong with Opal Ridge’s campaign in the Brisbane winter with the problematic Eagle Farm track a possible culprit.

“It was a disappointing prep up in Queensland, she wasn’t happy up there and wasn’t enjoying the tracks,’’ he said.

“I don’t think she was the only horse that didn’t go well over that carnival.

“Since she’s been back home and into her normal system she seems to be happy.”

It’s noticeable that Opal Ridge, $12 with TAB on Wednesday, hasn’t trialled officially in the lead up to the Toy Show but Pepper said the residual fitness meant it wasn’t needed.

He said her first-up deeds are well exposed, she opened her last prep with an easy win in the Listed Ortensia Stakes (1100m) at Scone in May, and she races well that way.

“She’s done her standard program at home. She had a couple of weeks out and we’ve kept her happy,’’ he said.

Opal Ridge wins the Ortensia Stakes at Scone

“She’s a horse that as we know just booms off the back of being fresh. I’m happy with where her fitness is at and I’m hopeful she can perform first-up as she has previously.

“It’s a good place to kick her off, right distance against her own sex, and I’m looking forward to seeing how she goes.”

Ticket sales for The Kosciuszko close at 11.59pm on September 9, and are available for $5 each via TAB outlets, the TAB app, pubs and clubs, and at race meetings.

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