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Foxton trainer Richard French is hoping to achieve a couple of important goals with Marotiri Miss within the next few weeks.

A candidate for the Midwest Disposals Handicap at Awapuni on Saturday, Marotiri Miss is booked to be covered by Rich Hill’s Melbourne Cup-winning sire Shocking next month.

“It has been confirmed she will be going to Shocking and Rich Hill wants her up there on the 20th of August,” said French. “That works in well because the main aim is the Winter Cup (at Riccarton on August 1). We may give her a couple more runs later in the year if she gets in foal.”

An Al Akbar seven-year-old, Marotiri Miss has won five races and over $136,000 in prize money for her Foxton owner-breeders, Bevan and Christine Parlato. She has also been placed in almost half of her 34 starts, including a second behind Karla Bruni in last year’s Gr.3 Winter Cup among her stakes placings.

“I’d love to win the Winter Cup with her,” said French. “She’s always been an honest mare, but in quite a lot of her races she has had a bit of traffic difficulty.”

She was blocked for a run when fifth behind Iamishwara in the Listed Waikato Stud Opunake Cup, her Winter Cup lead-up, at New Plymouth 12 months ago.

French plans to follow the same path with Marotiri Miss, again tackling the Opunake Cup on route to the Gr.3 $100,000 eStar Winter Cup.

Marotiri Miss’ most recent win came at Trentham on May 23 in the North Island Challenge Stakes when ridden for the first time by Chris Johnson. She then finished fourth to Julinsky Prince, again with Johnson aboard, in the Listed Ag Challenge Stakes at Wanganui and Kane Smith was in the saddle in her last-start fourth at Awapuni.

“I thought her last two fourths were really good and Chris is back on her on Saturday,” said Johnson. “He’s booked to ride her in her next three starts.

“I was surprised to see them have the race on Saturday when only six nominated, but it’s good for us. She needs to have this run.”

Marotiri Miss will again clash with Dragon Beauty and St Ransom, the Gary Vile pair who finished ahead of her last start, and she will meet another regular opponent, Taurus. She beat Taurus home in both the Opunake and Winter Cups last year and he turned the tables on her in the Ag Challenge Stakes when second.

Authentic Paddy, the topweight on Saturday, was a nose second in last year’s Opunake Cup, and was a fresh-up second at Trentham last month, while stablemate Unbelieveabelle has had two runs back from a spell.