Australian Cup runner-up Baby Jaycee will continue her quest for a deserved Group race victory in Friday night’s G2 Sportsbet Horsham Cup heats (485m).

Baby Jaycee, trained by Bob Douglas, was the fastest qualifier for the G1 Australian Cup Final and lost no admirers with a gallant second off box eight to Fernando Mick in last Saturday night’s final.

It was the second time the January ’21 daughter of Bernardo and Leprechaun Storm has run second at G1 level, having also had to settle for second prize in the National Futurity in Sydney, as well as the G2 Sandown Laurels.

“I’ve got no doubt if she stays sound, she’ll win a good race. She’s too good not to!”

“She was very unlucky,” said Douglas.

“If ‘the red’ (Captain Larry) doesn’t get in her way, she would’ve got ‘Mick’, but that’s racing.

“I’ve got no doubt if she stays sound, she’ll win a good race. She’s too good not to!

“In 50 years I’ve only had one other bitch that chases like her. She just chases her backside off.”

Veteran Heathcote mentor Douglas is optimistic hitting the country cups circuit can bring about an overdue change of feature race fortune, with Baby Jaycee the headline act in Friday’s four Horsham Cup heats.

The box draw has once again done Baby Jaycee no favours – she’ll exit five in heat three at 9.08pm – where Sportsbet has marked her $2.15 favourite.

Click HERE for Sportsbet’s latest Horsham Cup heat markets

“She’s getting used to bad boxes but hopefully her class gets her through,” Douglas said.

“It’s very similar to Carlisle Jack (2002 G1 Golden Easter Egg winner). I used to joke that he would go and stand next to the four and five rugs!

“I wasn’t going to go to Horsham with her, because I don’t think Horsham is a bitches track, being a big track.

“But I was taking Call Me Marley anyway and when I looked at the noms and saw they only had 25, I decided to roll the dice. It looks like it might have come off because while there’s some good dogs scattered through the heats; they aren’t overly strong.”

As Douglas alluded, he’ll have a more than competent ‘second stringer’ tackling the Cup heats in Call Me Marley, which is equal $3.60 favourite from box seven in the second run-off at 8.49pm.

WATCH: CALL ME MARLEY (B1) earned a crack at the G2 Horsham Cup heats with a scorching last start Bendigo 500m victory, clocking 27.77sec, four lengths outside the track record.

Call Me Marley, a son of US sire Konomi and Call Me Bubbles, has won nine of his 28 starts and earned his first crack at Group company with a near-record 27.77sec last start victory over 500m at Bendigo.

Interestingly, Call Me Marley beat Baby Jaycee by more than a dozen lengths when they clashed at their respective debuts at Bendigo last July.

“He burst onto the scene – that was a pretty impressive win – but he’s taken a while to put it all together,” Douglas said.

“He’s by an American sire and they can take a bit of time. The penny might’ve dropped with him at Bendigo last week.

“He’s run time over 410m at Horsham and he’s drawn well in box seven. That’s where he wants to be, and he’s got a vacant box on his inside, so I’m hoping they can both get through.”

Baby Jaycee heads ‘All In’ betting at $4.20, ahead of Panadero Warrior at $6.50, with Jungle Panther, Matt’s Hope and Stealth, all at $8, the others at single figures.

Bendigo and Warragul Cup finalist Panadero Warrior (heat 4, box 8), trained by Paul Abela, is taking aim at back-to-back cup victories after brilliantly winning the G2 Bulli Gold Cup, clocking a near-record 25.94sec, from this draw at his most recent appearance.

After winning the 2022 Horsham Cup with Typhoon Sammy, his fourth victory in the race, champion trainer Jason Thompson is chasing back-to-back titles with Stealth (heat 1, box 1).

Winner of the G3 Country Championship at The Meadows on Australian Cup night, Stealth is chasing a sixth straight win and ticks all the boxes, being unbeaten from box one (3 from 3) and at Horsham (2 from 2).

Stealth is the $2.70 second elect in the opening qualifier, behind Jeff Geall’s regally bred course specialist Jungle Panther (box 7) at $2.35, the winner of five of his six starts at Horsham, and another suited by a wide draw.

Click HERE for Sportsbet’s ‘All In’ Horsham Cup market