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By Ray Hickson

Jockey Nash Rawiller is adamant talented mare Word For Word should have won at her return to racing earlier this month and is looking forward to the chance for redemption at Randwick on Saturday.

Jockey Nash Rawiller (Pic: Steve Hart)

The Chris Waller-trained mare had a hard luck story to tell when she ran fourth, beaten half a length, to Handspun at Rosehill two weeks ago.

Given Word For Word can’t tell that story, in doing the talking for her Rawiller said nothing panned out to their advantage from before the home turn.

“I was desperately unlucky really. I tried to angle off the fence just prior to turning for home and give myself a couple of options and pretty much ended up with none,’’ he said.

“I had a horse that had a soft run and was full of running but nowhere to go.

“If she got the run when I wanted to at the furlong I think she would have won for sure.’’

That race was over 1350m and after Waller elected to scratch Word For Word from a mile race on Saturday she’ll only have a modest increase in distance in the Heineken 3 Handicap (1400m).

Rawiller said Word For Word didn’t have a hard run first-up so feels she’s not necessarily looking for more ground at this stage and simply wants a clear crack at them.

Punter’s Intelligence sectional data showed the mare ran the second fastest last 200m (11.34, just 0.07 slower than Handspun) without a lot of room at the business end.

“There’s no reason why she wouldn’t have come through the race well,’’ he said.

“She has a nice draw again, she should be able to take advantage of that and put herself in the right spot – just hoping for a bit more luck.

“She was winding up but we just had no galloping room and when the run finally opened up she quickened really nicely. So I can’t see any problem with 1400m again.’’

Word For Word is a warm $2.40 favourite with TAB while punters are wary of another Rawiller mount who had excuses last start in Southern Lad, $4.80 second elect in the Ranvet Handicap (1200m).

The John O’Shea-trained gelding is due for a change of fortune after racing wide when narrowly beaten in a small field first-up and last time around he struck trouble late after jumping from the outside marble at Rosehill two weeks ago.

Southern Lad has an outside alley to contend with yet again but Rawiller said the Randwick 1200m is kinder on wide barriers than the Rosehill 1100m often can be.

“I was happy with where we ended up midrace but we had to do some to-ing and fro-ing to get to that spot,’’ he said.

Watch the stewards vision of Word For Word running fourth at Rosehill on December 7

“He wasn’t going to win the race but he got severely interfered with late and it might have cost him a minor placing.

“I was hoping to draw well so I could ride a race on him but we’ll deal with what we’ve got.

“You can cover a bit more ground at Randwick I believe, at Rosehill you can’t be caught wide because you’re turning a lot.’’

Rawiller is hot on the heels of James McDonald on the jockeys premiership with 36 winners this season, just a half behind the reigning Sydney champion hoop, and has a full book of nine rides for the final city meeting before Christmas.

“I’m happy with the way I’m riding and I’ve been overwhelmed with the support I’ve had since I’ve been back,’’ he said.

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