Trainer Peter Strong will ignore a difficult alley and a likely rain-affected track to push ahead with an ambitious campaign for boom Brisbane two-year-old Pretty Strong at Doomben on Saturday.
Pretty Strong, who hasn't run since winning the opening juvenile fillies race of the season on October 6, has drawn the extreme outside barrier in a field of 15 in the Oldanga Properties Two Year Old (1010m) on Saturday .
It is usually close to impossible to win from the outside alley at the Doomben 1010m but Strong is confident his filly is something special.
"We really don't have any choice. She is a bit behind in her campaign," he said.
Pretty Strong ran second in a Deagon trial on February 5 but she had a minor setback.
"It means we really have to run her on Saturday if she is to go to Sydney this autumn," he said.
"We will run her again on March 23 and then all things being equal head to Sydney for the big two-year-old races."
Strong has a good idea of what makes a top two-year-old as he comes from a famous thoroughbred family in Queensland.
His grandfather Athol, father Neil and uncle Daryl have all had above young horses as trainers.
Strong has also had his fair share of star youngsters including black-type winners Do You Remember and Affirmed Star.
Pretty Strong is a real fairytale story as she cost Strong just $3500 at the Adelaide Magic Millions Sales.
"I sat there for the first day of the sales and never made a bid on anything, it was such a buoyant sale," he said.
"Then she came in the ring and the first bid was one thousand dollars so I really shelled out and went to three thousand five hundred dollars."
Pretty Strong is by under-rated sire Al Samer who is starting to make a name for himself in Australia.
Al Samer, a Redoute's Choice stallion, has had other recent success with horses such Mr Chard, Underestimation and La Remas.
The form around Pretty Strong's win in October has been strong as she beat Global Dream who went on to finish fourth in the Gold Coast Magic Millions Classic.