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By Ray Hickson

She’s only had the one start but Calico Miss has already shown trainer Stirling Osland he has plenty to work with and she’ll look to back up her impressive debut win in the Williams Seeders Handicap (1100m) at Inverell on Thursday.

The filly scored a runaway win at Quirindi a month ago, rewarding connections for their patience after going shin sore twice in the 12 months prior.

Osland said those issues forced him to be patient and ultimately it may have produced a racehorse with good race sense to go with her ability.

“She did a lot right in her first race,’’ he said.

“Tactically she was sharp, she was smart and made good decisions, she didn’t do anything wrong. Her race smarts in her first start were quite good and they’re only going to improve.

“If she can go two from two we’d look at Highways. We’ve always been wait and see, whether we look at a Highway straight up or wait another run, and it depends what options are coming up.”

The meeting was originally to be held at Osland’s home track of Armidale and he said had the transfer not been made the three-year-old, and likely all his runners, wouldn’t have lined up on a very heavy track – if they’d been able to race at all.

Calico Miss took advantage of barrier one in her debut win over 1200m and sat right on the leader's tail. She’ll face a different scenario from a wider gate coming back 100m in trip but Osland said she can adapt.

“She had plenty of speed first-up, she’s a sharp horse. We’re adamant 1100m-1200m is right in her wheelhouse,’’ he said.

“We weren’t expecting her to possie up as close as she did at Quirindi, we thought she’d be sitting midfield, but she jumped so clean and showed good speed early.

“Mikayla (Weir) makes good calls and I’d imagine midfield is what we’re looking at, sitting third pair one off.”

As handy as Osland believes Calico Miss is, he’s confident ex-Godolphin galloper Eject can pay his way for the new owners.

The gelding started $4.60 in the Listed Talindert Stakes on debut and won a maiden on the Ballarat synthetic track around this time last year.

“I think he’s a nice enough horse but I think he’d probably be a step behind the other filly,’’ Osland said.

“He had reasonable form in Victoria, they must have had an opinion of him to have him in a Listed race at his first start.

“Country form out of Victoria is usually handy for up here and he’s been competitive in most of his races.”

Another horse new to Osland’s stable is Vence, a four-year-old with one placing from four starts but a gelding Osland said may have some staying promise.

He’s keeping expectations on the lower side at his first run since October in the Maria River Cattle Handicap (1400m).

“We can probably get a nice run out of him 1400m first-up without a trial with sharp legs,’’ he said.

Calico Miss wins at Quirindi on April 29

“He’d have to be at his best, and a bit of class might get him away with it, but we’d probably be looking for him second-up at a mile.”

Stirling Osland on All Too Vegas (race 1): “She’ bounced around a few different homes. The numbers are a bit blasé after those early couple of starts. We’ve got her settling nicely, looking at running her 1100m first-up for a mare that hasn’t been past 1000m is a gamble. Hopefully she can bounce back to her first and second starts.”

On Finger Bun (race 7): “At Armidale I’d have been a lot more confident, she seems to look like a rockstar at Armidale but take her away from home she doesn’t want to travel well. I’d like to say she can improve but since she’s come here her Armidale runs and runs away from home have been two different horses.”

All the fields, form and replays for Thursday's Inverell meeting