Times analyst believes Echo Gal's best still inferior to key rivals Oakleigh Girl and Unencumbered

GAI Waterhouse has won four of the past 12 B.J. McLachlan Stakes, but her entrant today needs to find a couple of lengths to match two key rivals.

Tommy Berry wins on Echo Gal for trainer Gai Waterhouse at Warwick Farm. Picture: Mark Evans

GAI Waterhouse has won four of the past 12 B.J. McLachlan Stakes, but her entrant today needs to find a couple of lengths to match motors with her two key rivals.

That's the opinion of respected times analyst Vince Accardi, who says Echo Gal's midweek debut win at Warwick Farm fell well short of the benchmarks set by Oakleigh Girl and Unencumbered.

The form from Echo Gal's Warwick Farm win is untested. All runners were on debut and none have raced since.

Runner-up I Am Snippety provides the first hint when she runs in the first race at Moonee Valley today.

"The numbers were okay at Warwick Farm, but she needs to improve to match the other two," Accardi said.

"Oakleigh Girl was Melbourne's best two-year-old in the spring. Nothing got near her.

"Then her Doomben win was very slick as well, indicating she's come on further. "Unencumbered has just improved with every run. From a moderate start, he put the writing on the wall last time (at Wyong), with those figures almost on a par with Oakleigh Girl.

"He probably doesn't have the same improvement though."

The unknown today is all of the hot pots going to 1200m for the first time. Accardi says Oakleigh Girl will relish it.

"She posted six lengths above the average for her late splits at Doomben, so she will have no problem with the trip at all and I think she will come out and improve further," he said.

Oakleigh Girl proved to be a very solid performer in the spring. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Gai Waterhouse has been the dominant player in the McLachlan, formerly known as the Tommy Smith Slipper, in honour of her father.

She has won with Sunday Joy (2001), How Funny (2002), She's Meaner (2008) and Driefontein (2011).

Echo Gal has been the best backed runner with TattsBet, firming from $3.50 to $3.10.

One runner that will relish the trip is debut winner Bassillique. Trainer Toby Edmonds confessed after his win the formline may not be the right one for the Millions, but added his colt will just keep getting better as the distance of his races increase.

"While others might be feeling the pinch, he will be strong late," Edmonds said.

LIAM Birchley's Ruby Soho inched closer to a Magic Millions start with a comfortable win at Ipswich yesterday.

"I know it's a bit risky (going for lesser prizemoney), but just weighing it up, I felt the better progression was 1100m and then into the 1200m, as opposed to two 1200m runs," Birchley said of his decision to bypass today's McLachlan.

"I wanted her going into the (MM) with a bit of confidence, as opposed to a gut-buster against those other ones (today).

"I just have to hope she holds her place in the field."