Damien Oliver will be in the hot seat when enigmatic mare Just Zerene resumes at Moonee Valley on Friday night for Tony and Calvin McEvoy.
The mare is one of the most talked-about horses in racing – but largely for the wrong reasons.
She had the punting world in a spin as an unraced two-year-old when a text message tip went viral, before she was beaten on debut in Brisbane.
Despite her enormous ability, it’s largely been her inability to load into the barriers that has created more attention and headaches for the McEvoy stable.
She’s been scratched at the barrier three times in the past 12 months, the latest at Murray Bridge in early August when she was a $1.30 favourite.
Just Zerene ran well first-up from a spell when she was beaten just over three lengths behind Parlophone in the Listed Lightning Stakes (1050m) at Morphettville and is marked a $1.85 favourite for her return to racing on the back of an impressive Flemington jump-out last month.
Interestingly, she has some key gear changes, with the barrier blanket, blindfold and stallion chain all coming off on Friday night.
She will kick off another big weekend for the McEvoy stable, which could define the spring aspirations of a number of runners.
They’ll be hoping Game Keeper can win his way into the Melbourne Cup via Saturday’s 2500m Bart Cummings at Flemington, while smart three-year-old The Brumby will press his claims for a Victoria Derby start over 1800m.
Both horses face horror wide gates, but in contrast, in-form mare Pretty Brazen is perfectly drawn in barrier four back against the mares in the Group 2 Rose Of Kingston Stakes (1400m) after her placing behind Behemoth in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
And Dollar For Dollar will also back up from his game effort in the Rupert Clarke back to the 1200m in the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes.
IMAGE: Just Zerene winning by six lengths at Murray Bridge in January.
