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By Ray Hickson

Race experience is something that promising filly Swift Witness doesn’t have ahead of her debut as the early favourite for Wednesday’s $200,000 Wyong Magic Millions Classic (1100m) but co-trainer Adrian Bott is confident it won’t count against her.

Trainer Adrian Bott (Pic: Bradley Photos)

Bott and co-trainer Gai Waterhouse are chasing a hat-trick in the Wyong feature having won the past two editions with Farnan, the eventual Golden Slipper winner and champion two-year-old, last year and Unite And Conquer in 2018.

What those colts have in common is they went to Wyong with a race start under their belt while Swift Witness, like her full sister Terminology who was a beaten favourite on debut in the 2017 running, has only had the two trials.

In Swift Witness’s case, Bott said consideration was given to kicking her off in a 1000m race instead of having her second trial but wasn’t completely satisfied with some one-percenters out of the initial trial.

“We tossed up throwing her into a 1000m race instead of the second trial but we felt she did a couple of things wrong in that first trial and it was more beneficial to have that second trial,’’ he said.

“We were concerned about a quick turnaround from a race into this race so a trial over the 1045m was a happy medium.

“It’d be of benefit having some experience going into a competitive race such as this but if she has the ability she can overcome that.”

Swift Witness, $4.20 with TAB on Tuesday, was a $260,000 purchase and Bott expects jockey Tim Clark, who rode Farnan to win last year’s edition, to follow the stable style and have the filly in the firing line from a favourable gate.

As for whether she’ll be comfortable in the likely soft to heavy ground is another question – her sister Terminology was passable on a soft track but struggled in two starts in heavy.

“It’s hard to get a line on it, with most of them I’d say, because they’re mostly unexposed,’’ Bott said.

“At home she’s rarely had the opportunity to work on a rain affected track but she’s a smart filly who has trialled up well and done everything right.

“They are things out of your control, everyone else is in the same situation and at some point you have to try them.

“We have a nice enough draw to be positive and utilise that speed and that’s an advantage at the track as well. She’s shown she has the sharpness and tactical speed to do so.”

A return to NSW should be in Yao Dash’s favour, according to Bott, as he aims to break a 15 month run of outs in the $100,000 Wyong Magic Millions 3&4YO Stakes (1200m).

The four-year-old, firm in betting at $4.20 with TAB, won his first two race starts then ran a gallant fourth behind Bivouac in the 2019 Group 1 Golden Rose but has yet to recapture that form.

He’s been beaten a couple of lengths into fourth place in both starts this campaign, at Flemington and Ballarat, and Bott said there’s still upside.

Swift Witness wins a trial at Randwick on December 8

“I think it’s a nice race for him,’’ he said.

“I still think he has more to offer from what we’ve seen at home and in the past.

“I don’t think we have seen him at his best in two runs in and we’re putting that down to inexperience the Melbourne way of going and racing down the straight.

“So we are forgiving of them, even though they were good runs we thought he’s capable of a bit more.”

Yao Dash will be wearing blinkers for the first time and Tim Clark is also on board.

All the fields, form and replays for Wednesday’s meeting at Wyong