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By Ray Hickson

She’ll likely always live in the shadow of another Godolphin filly but trainer Joe Pride says Taxation is destined for better things than the Asahi Super Dry Handicap (1000m) at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.

Trainer Joe Pride (Pic: Bradley Photos).

Of course Tempted, who is trained by Ciaron Maher, holds top spot among the blue army’s fillies but Pride has always held Taxation in high record since he was asked to train her.

The three-year-old kicked off her career with two impressive wins and Pride elected to begin her autumn campaign by asking her to jump a low bar.

“I toyed with the idea of running her first-up in the Fireball,’’ Pride said.

“I think we will end up in a nice race this prep but we'll start off in a grade she’s eligible for.

“There’s so many good races this time of year, there’s no rush, you’ve got stakes races right through to Hawkesbury and Scone.

“She’s come back big and strong, she’s a lovely filly and she will make the grade.”

Taxation’s debut win came on a good track at Hawkesbury and she then made the leap from a maiden to win a Benchmark 72 on a heavy track at Rosehill.

Pride said her failure behind subsequent stakes winning stablemate Weeping Woman, where she started $3.70, was likely a case of going back to the races a bit too soon after a heavy track win.

And the filly showed his staff on that day she wasn’t a happy horse.

“My battle with her is her temperament at times, she’s quite wicked like a lot of good fillies can be,’’ he said.

“That day I wouldn’t say she fell apart but she brought herself undone.

“She was good for the majority of the preparation but she’s one where there’s potential for her to get a bit hot and the extra run sees them out.

“When she got into the yard she was wicked, she was a real handful. It was the day Ceolwulf won in Melbourne and I was down there but I was on the phone to the team and they told me what she was like.

“She was slow away, never got into the race that day. You can only so far each preparation but she will make the graduation this time around.”

Taxation, $2.90 with TAB on Tuesday, has trialled twice and Pride said they were deliberately on the quiet side.

“They were just quiet trials, teaching her to switch off. The 1000m will be nice for her first-up on her home track,’’ he said.

The Warwick Farm trainer said Taxation may well be his only runner at the meeting with Nothing Finer a chance to be saved from the Racing And Sports Handicap (1600m).

The gelding has put together two honest efforts in his second preparation over shorter trips.

Taxation's trial at Warwick Farm on February 16

“He’s put in a couple of decent runs, I’ll work out whether we run or look for something easier next week,’’ he said.

“It looks a decent maiden and that’s this time of year.”

All the fields, form and replays for Wednesday’s Warwick Farm meeting