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By Ray Hickson

You never like to lose a race on protest but trainer Kim Waugh can take some heart from the fact some strong form has come out of Shadows Of Love’s last trip to Hawkesbury.

The promising filly was first past the post in a 1300m Benchmark 68 on April 5, holding off Olentia in a driving finish, but unfortunately for connections she was a little wayward at a vital stage around the 150m mark and stewards decided it was enough to reverse the result.

Olentia went on from that race to take out the Group 3 James HB Carr Stakes at Randwick last weekend.

While she's coming through the grades quickly this prep, Waugh said Shadows Of Love is still on a learning curve and hopes she can use that experience to atone in the Midway Handicap (1100m) at Hawkesbury on Saturday.

“She drifted out and brushed that horse and when she did that she frightened herself and overreacted and ducked back in sharply,’’ Waugh said.

“(Olentia) is a nice horse isn’t she but I’m happy with my filly, just hopefully they don’t get much rain.”

Shadows Of Love, $2.70 with TAB on Thursday, won her first two starts this campaign by comfortable margins and Waugh said coming back to the 1100m at Hawkesbury, where she posted her maiden win, is no concern for her.

Shadows Of Love's last start at Hawkesbury

She expects jockey Brenton Avdulla will be able to be positive early and give her every chance and hopes she’s learned from the experience of last start.

“She’s pretty versatile, she’s got a good turn of foot and she pings out of the barriers. She’ll be on pace there somewhere,’’ she said.

“She’s a lovely filly, she was very immature and I still think next prep will be her best prep. She just keeps improving.”

Consistent three-year-old True Crime returns to his own age in the Group 3 $200,000 Blacktown Workers Club Group Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) after contesting the Provincial-Midway Championships Final.

He was an all the way winner of a qualifier at Newcastle in March and Waugh said he wasn’t disgraced in finishing sixth behind Spangler two weeks ago.

“He had to take on the older horses and he’s still only a baby himself so I thought he went very well,’’ she said.

“I think he will run a great race, he’s pretty tractable and professional and he’s done well since his last run.”

Waugh said a decision on whether stablemates Garrison and Conrad take their places in the Lawn Shed Handicap (1100m) will be made closer to scratching time as both drew off the track.

Garrison hasn’t raced since being run down by Headwall at Warwick Farm on March 1 while Conrad was a beaten favourite in the Wyong Provincial-Midway Championships heat a month ago.

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