Patis primed for her shot on ‘Qld’s best 2YO’

APPRENTICE Alex Patis teams up with Kisukano at Doomben, with a Sydney trip on the cards for the star filly.

BIG SHOT: Apprentice Alex Patis is excited to take the ride on Kisukano at Doomben. Picture: Jerad Williams

RACING: Star Toowoomba filly Kisukano will again be forced to lump a big weight if she is to maintain her near-faultless strike rate at Doomben on Saturday.

The rising three-year-old has been allotted 63.5kg for her next assignment in the QTIS 2-Y-O Fillies Handicap (1200m).

She gets weight relief in the form of a three-kilo claim from apprentice Alex Patis, the same weight she carried to a devastating return from a spell at the Sunshine Coast a fortnight ago.

Despite being difficult to load into the barriers, a wide barrier and a heavy track, Kisukano was breathtaking in her return to the track, blowing her rivals away to the tune of 2 ¾ lengths.

"We sort of expected around 62.5kg with a 2kg penalty for winning at the Sunshine Coast, which we would've claimed with," Nolan said.

"Taking the three off gives her the same weight she won with. Alex is up here (in Toowoomba) now and on loan with Tony and Maddy Sears, so I see a bit of her in the morning.

"I've had her ride for me before and I'm quite confident she'll do the job."

It's a task that has Patis excited, having set a milestone herself with her first Saturday metropolitan winner last weekend.

"It's very exciting to get the call up. She's probably the best two-year-old in the state," Patis said.

"My manager called me last Saturday morning and told me I was riding Kisukano. I was over the moon when I found out.

"I was on a high before I even got to the races (last weekend), and I rode my first (Saturday) town winner that day.

"I've had a chat with Michael about the plan and had the chance to canter her around. She's not built like a two-year-old filly, she's built like a colt."

Nolan said that if she again impresses at Doomben, a deserved trip to Sydney will be next on the cards.

"At this stage we're only looking as far ahead as this weekend," he said.

"If she wins impressively, she'll have far too much weight in Brisbane as a three-year-old.

"We'd look to go to the Silver Shadow in Sydney on August 22. If she has a record of five wins from six starts after this weekend, she'll have definitely earned it.

"She's only ever been beaten by another outstanding two-year-old in Rothfire, and he's going down south, so it will be interesting to see how they measure up."

# TOOWOOMBA'S Baylee Nothdurft is currently recovering in hospital after undergoing surgery for a broken jaw.

The star apprentice was dismounted from his horse during trackwork on Wednesday morning.

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