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Graham Richardson is banking on Queens Rose taking a big step forward in condition with Saturday's Crockford Real Estate 1400 serving as her lead up to the Gr.1 Makfi Challenge Stakes at Hastings.

But while the Matamata trainer concedes his star winter mare goes into this weekend's assignment shy of peak fitness, he isn't ruling out a winning run.

"She's full of beans," Richardson said.

"She's a bit fresh because she hasn't had a raced for six weeks. She'll improve with this race because of the layoff but she's had a trip away when she went to New Plymouth [for the Opunake Cup] the day they called the races off."

Queens Rose's last run was at Tauranga on June 20, when she turned the tables on The Filly from their previous start at Ellerslie in taking out the Listed Tauranga Classic (1400m) by a long neck, a win that qualified the O'Reilly mare for the Makfi Stakes (1400m) at Hastings on August 29.

"She's not a big horse and the question mark this weekend is the 58 kilos she has to carry but there's not a big weight spread," Richardson said.

"The Filly is a good horse and she'll be hard to beat. We beat her at weight-for-age last time and it’s level weights again this weekend.

"I'm happy with her. She's won there before. I just hope the track isn't too puggy."

A winner of eight of her 20 starts, Queens Rose is a toff on heavy going, winning five of her eight starts in the wettest track conditions.

Richardson is hoping to strike conditions to suit for the Makfi.

"She'll go to Hastings after this but she will want it wet down there," he said.