While focus may be on the Gold Coast with Deficit and Green Shadows seeking Magic Millions riches, Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou best chance on Saturday may be Cotton Fingers in Race 5 at Rosehill, a benchmark 72 race over 1300m.
"We were really happy with him the other day, 1100 is probably a touch short for him, but it was probably what fit him best with his program- he's come through that run really well. His last two pieces of work have been spot on so he'll be very hard to beat. He's probably our best chance," Alexiou said.
Cotton Fingers recorded the third-fastest last 200m of the meeting at Warwick Farm that day and clocking the second-fastest was stablemate Bitcoin Baby, who was a surprise 20-1 winner first up and will contest Race 10 on the card.
The four-year-old mare steps up to a benchmark 78 but Alexiou believes she has come on from her first up win.
"A harder task no doubt but I thought she did a good job the other day and she was going to improve off her first up run so it wouldn't surprise me to see her win or run really well."
"If she happens to get in and get a bit of luck in the run she'll be thereabouts, she's on her sauce and when she gets things run to suit she's normally not far away," Alexiou said.
The stable also have Mr Mosaic in Race 7, a benchmark 88 over 1100m and Alexiou believes his position in running is key to a form turnaround.
"He was disappointing the other day no doubt, he's improved a lot off that fitness wise… and if he can find the fence, he can improve a lot. He's a horse when he can find the fence he seems to relax better, race better and I think that'll afford him his best opportunity," Alexiou said.
In the opener, the stable saddle up just their third two-year-old of the season with General Salute, a colt by Russian Revolution, but Alexiou is wary of the task ahead of him.
"The barrier draw makes it tricky for him, he's a half to Brutality and I think the horse has got a very bright future (but) 1100 Rosehill from a tricky barrier is probably going to be a tough ask for him to be winning."
