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By Ray Hickson

Perth trainer Dan Morton says races worth $3 million ‘aren’t on every week’ so he’s giving his classy mare Kissonallforcheeks her shot on a heavy track in Saturday’s Group 1 The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick.

He’s been dodging the heavy tracks with the four-year-old until now but his confidence that she will handle it has grown since she arrived in Sydney a couple of weeks ago.

It’s a rare visit to Sydney for Morton, 10 years since his last runner, but he’s never been afraid to travel a horse when he has one good enough – former star sprinter Scenic Blast’s Royal Ascot win is proof of that.

“The attraction was the fillies and mares series, we were going to start in the Guy Walter, but I opted out of it because of the weather,’’ he said.

“I didn’t want to be drawn into his race. The plan was to run in the Emancipation and the Queen Of The Turf but given the state of the track the other day I opted out of that. But here we are.

“I’ve been happy with the way she’s tracked up here, in a couple of solid gallops going the Sydney way on heavy tracks it’s looked like she’s handled it well.”

Morton hasn’t started a horse at Randwick before but he raced Group 1 winner Scenic Shot in a George Ryder at Rosehill in 2008 and the Ranvet Stakes in 2012 plus his mare Bliss Street contested the Coolmore Classic in 2012.

💋💋 Kissonallforcheeks wins the Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap

Mark Zahra onboard the @MortonRacing mare 🐎 pic.twitter.com/9bzDdHEV77

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) March 12, 2022

Kissonallforcheeks, $26 with TAB on Thursday, was Group 1 placed in the Railway Stakes (1600m) and Kingston Town Classic (1800m) back in the summer and resumed with a Group 3 win at Flemington on March 12.

“She is a very good horse and I feel like she’s a Group 1 mare,’’ he said.

“She’s done everything right, she’s travelled good and settled in perfect. I give her a very good chance.”

Her only exposure to a heavy track came in the Champion Fillies Stakes at Ascot in November 2020 and though she had excuses that day it’s fair to say she’s faced nothing like what will be under her feet on Saturday.

But positive comments from jockey Tommy Berry after a trackwork session give Morton cause to believe she’ll cope.

“Without looking at the form of these horses, who has been through it and who hasn't, we are an unknown but I’ve been buoyed by her trackwork,’’ he said.

“Tommy Berry rode her the first day here the Sydney way and we had her at speed. He was glowing with his report, he said no issue with the ground and that she’d go through anything.

“She’s had another two goes on the grass tracks since then so hopefully that will stand her in good stead.”

Alysha Collett has the Doncaster ride and with barrier seven Morton said it will give her options.

“Ideally we won’t be too far forward, you’d like to be midfield and ready to roll when you need to,’’ he said.

All the fields, form and replays for Day 1 of The Star Championships at Randwick