Poco Dorado blotted her copybook in the group 1 Bold Trease final in Melbourne but is poised to maintain her unbeaten Wentworth Park long-distance record on Saturday night.
Poco Dorado has box six in heat one of the group 1 Summer Cup, and goes into the race with an incredible Wentworth Park 720m record of eight starts for eight wins.
Her personal best time for the Wenty 720m trip is 41.68sec, well inside the Summer Cup race record of 41.92 established by Victoria's Dyna Willow when she won the 2013 final.
Melinda Finn, whose husband John trains Poco Dorado, said: "She missed the kick in the Bold Trease on November 23 but was certainly disappointing after that.
"It was a really big race and unfortunately that was the one she picked to be disappointing.
"There was nothing amiss with her after the Bold Trease and she is perfectly fine, we think Poco Dorado just far prefers Wentworth Park because she hasn't put a foot wrong there.''
Poco Dorado has drawn the tougher of the two heats with crack Queensland stayer Double Gee to exit box eight.
Double Gee trialled solo over 520m at Wentworth Park last Saturday night and posted 29.99sec, outstanding figures for a stayer although Poco Dorado did come from last to win over the same journey at headquarters in 29.98 on November 3.
At her only Wentworth Park race Double Gee finished a distant fourth to Poco Dorado on September 19, after crossing to the rails from box seven and being in second position in the early stages.
John Finn appears to have a stranglehold on heat two of the Summer Cup, with Poco Dorado's siblings Blue Moon Rising in box four and Veloce Nero in seven.
"Veloce Nero is a bit quicker than Blue Moon Rising but she is not as race fit as her brother,'' Melinda Finn said.
Blue Moon Rising had four long-distance races in November, for a win and two placings, while Veloce Nero has not been over 720m since finishing second to Poco Dorado at Wenty on October 20.
Successful husband-and-wife training team Christine and Alan Proctor have three strong chances engaged at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
Alan has Swift Viper in box two in race three, a 520m fifth grade, while Christine will be represented by Sound Advice (box one, race four, a 520m fourth and fifth grade) and Faun Flame, who has box two in race 10, another fifth grade over 520m.
"I think Faun Flame could be our best prospect on Satrday because she is such a good little chaser,'' Alan Proctor said.
"Swift Viper possesses a bit of early dash but he has box two and he does tend to step to the right when he jumps and can do so again at the first turn.
"Sound Advice is drawn on the rails, and that is definitely where he wants to be.
"I was surprised to realise he has not won in seven outings from box one despite having won eight races from boxes two and three.
"I am not over excited about box one at Wenty because good beginners seem to be better suited from the two or three boxes at this track.''
But Sound Advice could "break his box one duck'' on Saturday as he finished fourth, from box seven, in a Wentworth Park top grade race on November 21, and drops sharply in class this week.
Saturday's best bet looks to be Kihael Koalmina, who has box eight in race seven, a 520m fourth grade.
Kihael Koalmina is in the best form is his career, overcaming a slow start to win from box eight at Wentworth Park on October 6 in a nippy 30.06 before jumping smartly from box four to lead throughout in identical time on November 21.
Best Bet: Kihael Koalmina (race 7)
Best Value: Sound Advice (race 4)
Quaddie
Race 5 - 6, 3, 4
Race 6 - 4, 7, 6
Race 7 - 8, 1
Race 8 - 2, 5
$20 for 55.55%
