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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Nick Olive is confident the best is still ahead for recent buy Madrina as she returns to the city for Saturday’s TAB Highway (1200m) at Rosehill.

Trainer Nick Olive

The mare was formerly trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, won a city two-year-old race in June last year and contested four stakes races in 10 starts for the stable.

Olive picked her up online for $90,000 and he said it was encouraging to see her win at her third run for the stable as she’s improved with each run to date.

“We gave her a good spell and she’s progressed along really nicely,’’ Olive said.

“She ran some good races with Gai but I like the way she’s coming along and she’s doing everything right.

“The aim was to run in a couple of Highways then hopefully progress on. I think the best is ahead of her and I’m excited about where we will get with her.

"There’s going to be a lot of races around the country areas she’ll be able to be aimed at in the future and in the city as well.”

Madrina carried 60.5kg to win a Benchmark 64 over 1200m at Kembla Grange two weeks ago.

She was able to sit handy to the speed and Olive liked how she got stronger coming to the end of the race. It sets her up well to carry an extra kilogram in her Highway debut.

He said that’s offset slightly by drawing kindly and isn’t expecting the weight to be an excuse.

“The handicapper didn’t miss us after we won the other day,’’ he said.

“She’s got a fair bit of weight but she carried a big weight and won impressively the other day.

“She should get a beautiful run from there and having Tommy (Berry) on, he’s riding as good as anyone at the moment, it’s a big plus also.”

Olive has elected to claim with stable stalwart Kimberley Secrets in the TAB Handicap (1100m) to assist with the steps back to Benchmark 78 grade.

The six-year-old was placed in similar company back in February and with the 3kg off will drop 4kg on her last start third behind Jellicious at Warwick Farm.

“She’s been racing great, it’s obviously not an easy race but a race she can be competitive in,’’ he said.

“She’s drawn to get a nice run and normally races on speed too she can be right there.”

Kimberley Secrets has only had the 19 starts but she was off the scene for over a year going into the start of 2025.

Madrina wins at Kembla Grange on October 25

She contested her second Country Championships series in the autumn and Olive said while she was raised as a contender for The Kosciuszko after her first-up win in August he’s more than happy to just keep the bar at a realistic level.

“The aim with her was to win again, which she did, and now it’s just about placing her to win and in the right races where she can be competitive,’’ he said.

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