O’Dea hopes JJ Atkins can be sealed with Kiss

EAGLE FARM

TRAINER Steve O’Dea has taken a cautious route to the JJ Atkins with Gotta Kiss but he is confident she won’t be disgraced in the Group 1 race at Eagle Farm today.

Gotta Kiss is the forgotten horse of the Atkins as O’Dea has carefully managed her career.

The filly had her first start with a win at Eagle Farm in early October and was having her seventh run for the season when third in the Listed Bill Carter Stakes (1110m) at Doomben on May 30.

In all, she has had three wins and three minor placings with her only unplaced run coming in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic on the Gold Coast in January.

While many of her rivals today had their final JJ Atkins lead-up races a fortnight ago, O’Dea elected to run her in the Bill Carter last Saturday.

Gotta Kiss got back on the fence in the middle stakes but ran on well to be a close third behind September Run.

“I wanted to see how she pulled up from the Carter before committing her to Saturday,” Eagle Farm-based O’Dea said.

“She has pleased me so far so she can go around.”

Gotta Kiss’s regular rider Stephanie Thornton will again partner the filly.

Thornton can join Dianne Moseley and Marie Lyndon, who both won Doomben Cups in the 1980s, as female jockeys to win a Brisbane Group 1 race.

Ladbrokes have Gotta Kiss as a $26 chance today with the smart gelding Rothfire the favourite at $3.80.

Rothfire, winner of five of his six starts, has drawn wide but his jockey Jim Byrne is confident.

“Whether he’s as good over 1400m as he is the six (1200m), that’s the question, but I think they will all have something to chase when he gets to the furlong,” he said.