Ms Catherine (Image: Racing Photos)
Henry Dwyer hopes he and two of his owners are the only ones holding their breath when Ms Catherine marks her return to Victoria with a dash over the 955-metre course at The Valley on Friday night.
Dwyer explained on Wednesday that last year's Group 3 Typhoon Tracy Stakes winner has endured breathing issues during her career, which has limited her potential but fortunately not her pure speed.
"She's pretty fast and she's come off a nice trial and some good gallops so the short trip at The Valley should be ideal for her," Ballarat-based Dwyer said.
"She's won a couple of races there and she's pretty fast and it suits her breathing capacity so the shorter the better for her.
"We had her in the race (Hoysted Stakes) on Saturday at Flemington and we wanted to look how it stacked up and it looked a bit strong and she's off OK at the weights on Friday night and that's where she will kick off."
Ms Catherine has only had the seven race starts - the past two of those having come in Queensland, where she failed to beat a runner home.
"She was racing down here and not really handling the Soft tracks and she was due for a break and so we thought she could spell up there," Dwyer explained.
"It coincided with Georgie Cartwright going up there as well as Georgie had done all the work with her right through and she needed a little kick-along so she (Ms Catherine) went to Tony Gollan but she never got going, whether it was that way of going or her breathing, we're not sure.
"So, she's come down here for a couple of starts and if she doesn't fire up, she can go to the paddock and then go to stud."
Her G3 victory combined with her breeding - she's out of the former top mare Lucky Diva, who is out of Lucky Witch, a producer of four Stakes winners - means Ms Catherine's progeny should be sought after. But first, Dwyer and her owners and breeders Tony and John Bongiorno want to see what she can do on the track.
Ms Catherine showed she was up and running at the Cranbourne trials earlier this month when she won her 800-metre trial against the likes of Ancestry and Brooklyn Hustle.
"She trialed well but she should over 800 (metres) because they can do that on one breath with not much pressure but once you are in a race it's a bit different," Dwyer said.
"I've been happy with her. That trial was good and her gallops since have been good and she's enjoying being in work and so we're looking for her to go well on Friday night."