Khulaasa favoured to land her first win

Khulaasa has been knocking on the door of a win and co-trainer Tom Dabernig believes the two-year-old gets her time to shine in a Group Three race at Flemington.

The filly has finished runner-up in her two starts which have both been on the straight course at Flemington over 1000m and 1100m respectively.

Khulaasa was beaten by subsequent Blue Diamond Stakes fourth placegetter Prairie Fire in the Talindert Stakes last start, gapping the rest of the field by almost four lengths.

She takes on her own age and sex in Saturday’s TBV Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1200m) at Flemington.

On race eve, Khulaasa was the $2.20 favourite.

“I think Khulaasa is ready to win,” Dabernig said in the Lindsay Park stable’s weekly online update.

Banner error, could not find casino id "william-hill-sport"

“She’s had the experience down the straight and her two runs have been excellent, running second on both occasions.

“She goes into blinkers and I think she’ll be hard to beat.”

The stable also has Cristal Eyes in the race, coming in off a second on debut to Tin Hat in a Ballarat maiden over 1200m.

“It was an excellent run first-up,” Dabernig said.

“She hit the line strongly at Ballarat and I also think she’s a talented filly that with natural improvement should be around the mark.”

Cristal Eyes was at $10 on Friday.

Three of the past six winners of the race – Shoals (2017), Pasadena Girl (2015) and Snitzerland (2012) – have gone on to win at Group One level.