Miss Finland has no better opportunity to return to the winner's list than in this Saturday's Group One Futurity Stakes at Caulfield.
In one of the weakest fields seen in a $702,000 race for quite some time, Miss Finland has been installed an early $5 co-favourite with Lloyd Williams' in-form runner Publishing and her stablemate Niconero ($6).
If she cannot beat a field containing just two Group One weight-for-age winners then few will be able to argue against owner John Messara's plans to retire her.
However, there are two massive question marks against her name. Is she still the Miss Finland of old? And can she overcome her extreme outside gate of 12?
"It's not going to help is it? It's got to be a hindrance. She is trained to sprint and third-up now, she'll have to go back from there you think," Sportingbet Australia's racing manager Bill Richmond told Sportal.
The race will be the first time Miss Finland returns to Caulfield where she came second twice in the Underwood (1800m) and Yalumba (2000m) after hitting flat spots around the turn.
The mare ran a serviceable fifth first-up in the Lightning Stakes over the unsuitable distance of 1000m but her last-start effort in the Australia Stakes (1200m) when she beat home just one runner was far from impressive.
If she can rediscover her old form, she'll blitz this lot.
Publishing is in career-best form with two wins at Group Three level this time in. From barrier nine, he should be able to sit in the first three but he is untried at the mile and is a Group One maiden.
Niconero, trained by David Hayes, should have won the Orr when he was a desperately unlucky second to Shinzig.
The form from that race has since been franked by Princess Coup's devastating victory in the Group Two St George Stakes (1800m) last week. He's a proven Group One miler and has solid second-up form.
Stablemate Molotov ($13) is brilliant second-up, with four wins from six starts, and can't be discounted nor can Shinzig ($10), who has grown another leg since being transferred to Mick Price, or Cargo Cult ($11), who will appreciate the extra 200m after running home strongly last start over 1400m.
In Sydney, former star three-year-old Court Command resumes from nearly a year out in the Group Two Challenge Stakes (1200m).
But he'll have to beat proven Group One galloper Red Oog, the in-form Keen Commander and Paul Cave's dual weight-for-age winner from last spring German Chocolate.
Lucky Wu
Futurity Stakes
Miss Finland
Niconero
Molotov
Best roughie: Cargo Cult
Challenge Stakes
Keen Commander
German Chocolate
Red Oog
Hands and Heals
Futurity Stakes
Publishing
Niconero
Shinzig
Best roughie: Still Me
Challenge Stakes
German Chocolate
Court Command
Keen Commander