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By Ray Hickson

After two close calls on promising filly Kimochi, jockey Jason Collett says Saturday’s Group 2 $300,000 Darley Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) at Randwick is a prime chance to stamp some authority in the fillies’ ranks.

Jockey Jason Collett (Pic: Bradley Photos).

The Gary Portelli-trained three-year-old has rushed home for a third and a second in the first two legs of the Princess Series, the Silver Shadow and Furious Stakes both over 1200m, and Collett said as good as those runs were he can’t help but wonder what might have been.

But when it comes to the Tea Rose, Collett can see Kimochi having no excuses.

“First-up she drew wide so we brought her back and she drew a bit better the other day but she had a majority of the chances underneath her,’’ Collett said.

“Had she drawn a touch more favourably last start she’s probably a pair closer and that’s the winning of the race.

“You’re running on really well but until you actually win them you need to show everyone you’re as good as you are promising.

“She has a good temperament from what I’ve seen on race day and she suggests the 1400m and possibly a mile are going to suit her.”

In both runs this spring, the filly has posted the fastest sectionals of the race and in the Furious she clocked 33.78 for her last 600m and last 200m of 11.31 (Punter’s Intelligence).

Kimochi, $4 with TAB on Friday, has drawn gate five in the Tea Rose and Collett said he couldn’t have asked for a better set up with speed drawn outside her.

“Hopefully it makes the job a bit easier,’’ he said.

“We’re not still trying to work out how she needs to be ridden, she’s starting to show us now.

“It was a slowly run race last start. The step up in trip is going to really suit her, she’s been hitting the line strong.”

Collett reunites with multiple Group 1 winning mare Montefilia in the Group 3 $250,000 James Squire Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) for the first time in almost a year.

He’s won two Group 1s on the six-year-old, now trained by Chris Waller, and was on board in her last victory when she put two lengths on Verry Elleegant in the 2022 Ranvet Stakes.

Montefilia was the sectional star out of the Winx Stakes (1400m) and that run saw her start favourite in the Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) where she again made ground and Collett said he expects her to be ready to fire.

“Her first-up run was fantastic, she was good late second-up in the Chelmsford which was an interestingly run race,’’ he said.

“The ten furlongs, third-up, it ticks a lot of boxes for her.

“This is her best trip, she has a nice gate and a good surface so it looks very good for her.”

At her last run over 2000m on a good track she started $4.60 and finished second to Dubai Honour in the Ranvet Stakes back in March this year.

With just 57kg she’s extremely well placed under the set weights and penalties conditions for a four time Group 1 winner with a 113 rating.

Kimochi runs second at Randwick on September 2

Jason Collett on Elettrica (race 1): “She saw out the trip, had a soft run and she has another nice gate to get a similar run. I’m not too worried about the drop in trip because I don’t think she is a genuine 1800m horse she got away with it last start, but I think the mile is better for us.”

On Strait Acer (race 3): “He’s flying, he was great last start. It is a step up skipping the 78 grade going to the 88 but he does get weight relief. The mile is probably a question mark, we feel he will run it out but he’s yet to be proven at it. With his racing style you’d think he would be okay.”

On Fireburn (race 7): “She had a good gate, she was only a couple of lengths off them in a blanket finish and it was slowly run and a sprint home. She’s going to have to be ridden quiet from that gate but I don’t mind that. She’s good when she’s ridden cold. This will be a good chance to see where we should be heading and where we are at with her.”

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