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Ardmore trainer Jenna Mahoney will be looking for assurance on two counts when she takes High Class to Avondale on Wednesday.

High Class tackles the rating 65 1400m after failing fresh-up, when favourite, in a good three-year-old field at Te Rapa on October 2.

The Shocking filly was never a factor there and she was beaten nine lengths behind Let Her Rip.

“She was really well going into the race, but was stuck down in the worst of the going and her rider [Brendan Hutton] said she hated every minute of it,” Mahoney said.

“So we decided to run her this week, so we can get a line on her.

“I would have preferred to keep her to her own age group, but there wasn’t a suitable race. Her work has been really good and she’s very bright.

“We are taking it one step at a time, but if he produces an encouraging run [at Avondale], we will have some idea of where we are going.”

High Class is a possible Gr.1 NZB 1000 Guineas contender, but needs to run well this week to remain in contention.

“That would be the ultimate target, but we wouldn’t take her down to Riccarton unless we thought she could be competitive.”

Mahoney is also keen to see how High Class handles a good track at Avondale.

“She’s very light on her feet and I think she will like good ground, but every time we’ve taken her to the trials or the races, it’s rained,” she said.

High Class has had only three starts. She was a runaway winner on debut, at Avondale in May, and started a $3.10 favourite in the Listed Great Northern Foal Stakes at Ellerslie, before battling into fourth on a heavy track.

A $30,000 yearling buy, she is the first foal from the good race mare Mill Duckie who was Group One placed in both the New Zealand Oaks and Thorndon Mile.

Some promising types will also clash in the rating 75 1400m at Avondale, including the four-year-old mares Tavy, Matakana, Promises and Suffire.