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By Ray Hickson

There’s an air of confidence from the Ciaron Maher stable that being patient with Hi Dubai in the early part of her preparation will pay off at Rosehill on Saturday.

Johann Gerard-Dubord (Pic: Bradley Photos).

The five-year-old recorded two third placings against the boys over 1000m at Randwick with a month between runs and arrives at the Captivant @ Kia Ora Handicap (1100m) with assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord saying she’s had the right build up.

Only twice in Hi Dubai’s 13 starts to date has she taken on just fillies and mares so she’ll have to carry 59kg, after Braith Nock's claim, but with the grounding she’s had Gerard-Dubord feels she’s more than capable.

“It was the plan to space her first two runs and now she’s fit we can go two weeks with no issue,’’ he said.

“She loves the wet, she’s very fit now, she’s got some weight to carry but we have the claim for Braith who is riding well.

“She’s got a good gate, I think she will go very close.”

Hi Dubai, $4.60 with TAB on Thursday, resumed with a close third behind Storm The Ramparts on that testing track at Randwick on May 24.

The Maher stable elected to wait until June 21 to produce her again and she was involved in a tight three way finish filling third behind Lulumon and Storm The Ramparts again.

Gerard-Duboard said the team was rapt with her last run and she’s ready for 1100m on a wet track.

“She was very good the other day, the last 50m she was coming back,’’ he said.

“She’s due for a win, she’s been very consistent, so hopefully she can get it done.”

Sacred Rocks closed off the Rosehill meeting three weeks ago with an impressive win and Gerard-Dubord said the Asahi Super Dry Handicap (1400m) is a good fit for her.

He concedes on paper the wide barrier could be an issue but a similar draw didn’t stop her second-up, though there is an option on Saturday week against fillies and mares for her.

“We’ve been looking for wet tracks with her but you don’t know how they go on a testing track until you try it,’’ he said.

“The barrier isn’t ideal but she was wide last start and, being the last race of the day, it might not be such a negative.”

As far as ideal scenarios go, Gerard-Dubord said Naval Commission will be right in his comfort zone on all fronts in the Catanach’s Jewellers Handicap (2000m).

The gelding has been placed in all three runs this campaign and he said a case can be made to be forgiving even though he was beaten fair and square at Canterbury a month ago.

“He raced last start like he lacked a turn of foot but I think it was more a fact that it was a drier track,’’ he said.

“He looks the best he’s ever looked, he’ll run very well. It’s the first time this prep he’s got everything for him. He has a lighter weight, good draw, wet track, he ticks a few boxes.”

Hi Dubai runs third at Randwick on June 21

Stablemate Rise To It isn’t the fan of the wet that Naval Commission is so there’s a chance he could be saved for a race on Wednesday.

Johann Gerard-Dubord on Who I Think I Am (race 1): “She’s a nice filly, being by So You Think she’s going to get better with time. It looks strong enough on Saturday but we have to get her started at some stage. If we run we’ll ride her back. She has a lot of upside and will be a better horse next time but she definitely has some talent. I thought she improved from her first to second trial and we’ve been happy with her since.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Rosehill meeting