Jockey Vlad Duric expects race fitness and a favourable distance to give Gig a realistic chance at a breakthrough Group win in the PB Lawrence Stakes.

Gig has placed at stakes level five times this year and Duric believes Saturday's 1400-metre race comes the right time for the Shawn Mathrick-trained mare to try to upstage better-performed horses resuming from spells.

"It's probably a really good opportunity to try to get a stakes win with her," Duric said.

"While some of the other horses are fresh up and possibly in need of a run, she is hard-fit and has got a good draw and is going around at her favourite trip.

"They are a plus so it all points to her getting her opportunity to win a good race."

The six-year-old has had a long campaign and goes into the PB Lawrence after her second in the Bletchingly Stakes when dropping from 1600m to 1200m in the space of a fortnight.

She takes on last year's winner Puissance De Lune, as well as Lidari and Group One winner Forteller.

Duric gets back aboard stakes winner Boomwaa in the Vain Stakes (1100m) and is hoping he can turn the tables on favourite Nordic Empire who beat the Robbie Laing-trained runner first-up at Moonee Valley when apprentice Kayla Nisbet was on board.

"He meets that horse (Nordic Empire) worse at the weights but I'm very confident he's going to take a fair bit of improvement from his first-up run," Duric said.

Novel Dancer, a convincing winner at Echuca and Mornington in May, faces her toughest test first-up in the Quezette Stakes (1100m).

Duric hasn't ridden Novel Dancer in a race but was impressed when partnering the Shea Eden-trained filly in a barrier trial before her debut and again in trackwork on Tuesday.

"It will be interesting to see how she measures up on Saturday. I'm really confident that she'll run well," Duric said.

"She's drawn a little awkwardly (in barrier 10) so we'll just have to overcome that. But I really like the filly and think she's got a bright future."