Respected trainer Pat Hyland believes his consistent mare Zarita is the forgotten horse in this year's $1 million Australian Cup.
Hyland, who won Victoria's premier autumn weight-for-age event on three occasions as a jockey, believes his five-year-old mare is going into this year's Group One Australian Cup (2000m) in far better shape than last year when she ran a gallant fourth - beaten by just a length-and-a-half by Niconero.
And with this year's event certainly no stronger than last year's, it is shaping as the most open Australian Cup in years with the Mick Price-trained Heart of Dreams currently at the top of betting at $6.50.
Hyland cannot believe the odds being offered for Zarita which are currently $21 in fixed odds betting.
"She is in great shape and if she has a bit of luck she won't surprise me anyway if she wins the race," Hyland told Sport927.
"I think she should be a lot shorter odds than what they are giving, but I am not a bookmaker so that side of it doesn't worry me."
Zarita is one of just three mares in the 16-strong field for this year's Australian Cup - one of three Group One races to be run on 'Super Saturday' at Flemington this weekend.
But the five-year-old has long had a history of mixing it successfully against the boys.
As far back as her three-year-old season she beat the colts and geldings in the Group One South Australia Derby, having already taken the South Australia Oaks and the Group Two Wakeful Stakes during the Melbourne spring against the fillies.
And at open weight-for-age level she has been one of Australia's most consistent gallopers having not only run fourth in last year's Australian Cup but also in the 2008 Cox Plate behind Maldivian.
Hyland believes his consistent mare, which is dominant at weight-for-age against her own sex, is overdue for a Group One win at weight-for-age level.
The mare has come off a win in the Group Two Sunline Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley as well as winning the Group Two Stocks Stakes over the same course and distance last spring.
"At weight-for-age against her own sex she has an edge on them really," Hyland said.
"But she can take on the boys at weight-for-age. She hasn't beaten them yet although she was a close-up second behind Weekend Hussler in the Makybe Diva Stakes (over 1600m at Flemington in September 2008)."
Adding to Hyland's confidence is the fact Zarita will go into the Australian Cup third-up this preparation and the same stage of her preparation last spring she came out and won the Stocks Stakes.
"We planned that (to go into the Australian Cup third-up) because her second and third runs have always been very, very good," he said.
"She has done fantastically well (since winning the Sunline Stakes on February 13) and I am going into the Australian Cup happier this year than I was last year."
Dwayne Dunn will ride Zarita from barrier nine alongside favourite Heart of Dreams in eight.
Reigning Melbourne Cup winner and second favourite, Mark Kavanagh-trained Shocking, drew wide in barrier 12.
Zarita has won nine of her 31 starts for just over $1.65 million in prize money.