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By Ray Hickson

The Golden Slipper form around promising filly Tupakara reads well on paper but co-trainer Rob Archibald says there’s plenty of substance to the youngster as she seeks a breakthrough at Rosehill on Tuesday.

Trainer Rob Archibald (Pic: Grant Guy)

In three starts so far there’s been no ducking any two-year-old and Tupakara debuted in the Gimcrack Stakes before contesting the Golden Gift but it was her first-up fourth behind Tempted and Marhoona, after racing wide without cover, that stands out.

Archibald, who co-trains with Annabel Neasham, said a slight drop in grade into the Group 3 $250,000 Rosehill Bowling Club Baillieu (1400m) is a chance for her to capitalise.

“She’s put herself in those races, we like her a lot. She’s talented,’’ Archibald said.

“The form out of her last run is very good, two of them ahead of her went on and ran first and third in the Slipper.

“She was meeting horses that were a lot deeper into her campaigns.

“She did a good job and will physically take good benefit from the run. It was a pleasing first-up effort knowing that there is improvement to come.

“She’s a high class filly, she’s still got plenty of maturing to do but we feel she deserves her opportunity.”

The obvious question surrounding Tupakara, $7 with TAB on Friday, is how she will cope with potentially testing conditions and it’s one the stable doesn’t yet have an answer to.

“She’s not been tested on a heavy track, the gut feeling is she will be okay but you never know until you try them,’’ he said.

Stablemate Next Jen, owned predominantly by a group of under 35s, made a winning debut at Newcastle earlier this month and Archibald said she has plenty of upside.

“She was excellent first-up at Newcastle. She’s a little bit less exposed than Tupakara but I thought her win was impressive,’’ he said.

“She’s not tested on a heavy track but we feel like she deserves an opportunity.”

Silver Eagle winner Ostraka drops sharply in class into the Group 3 $250,000 EGroup Security Star Kingdom Stakes (1200m) after two runs at Group 1 level this autumn.

Archibald said the four-year-old wasn’t disgraced in either race in Melbourne but suggests he’ll appreciate getting back to Sydney.

“He was drawn wide in the Oakleigh Plate and went back and it was an impossible situation,’’ he said.

“I thought his run in the Newmarket was creditable. He just overdid it a touch and sat a bit close to the speed but I thought he was brave to hang on like he did.

“Back around a bend, Jason (Collett) gets on well with him, he’s drawn okay and it looks like a race he can bounce back.

Tupakara runs fourth at Randwick on March 8

“He’s fairly versatile, we think he is a very talented horse and coming back slightly in grade sets up well for him.”

Rob Archibald on Firm Agreement (Race 3): “He will appreciate some give in the track. We put him in two strong races to start the preparation off, we’ve decided to come back a peg. He’s got an awful draw but he’s a nice horse and will appreciate getting out over a bit more ground.”

All the fields, form and replays for Stakes day at Rosehill