Mokoro makes her city debut

The much-hyped Mokoro will make a belated city debut at Caulfield with trainer Danny O'Brien keen to see how she measures up.

The filly's only other start was an impressive three-length win over 1209m at Seymour in late October.

She was due to open her metropolitan career last Saturday week at Moonee Valley but was withdrawn on race morning after she bruised a joint when she banged a leg in her stall.

O'Brien says stepping into metropolitan grade in Saturday's Cotton On Group Christmas Handicap (1200m) after just one provincial race might be a big step but the stable has a high opinion of her.

"It's a big jump but she's a filly we have a good opinion of and we're hoping she is up to it," O'Brien said.

"We'll see on Saturday what she can produce and we'll know where we can go with her from there."

Damien Oliver, who flies out after the meeting to ride at Sunday's International meeting in Hong Kong, keeps the mount.

O'Brien's only other runner on the day, Defiant Angel, is taking on 1400 metres for the first time in the LUCRF Super Handicap.

"He's a horse looking to step up in distance and possibly a mile will be eminently suitable for him," O'Brien said.

The Cox Plate-winning trainer said Black Caviar's half-sister Belle Couture would have her second jump-out at Flemington on Friday with a view to making her debut later this month.

Belle Couture ran second in her first jump-out at Flemington last Friday week with Oliver aboard.

"We'll assess where she is after that but we're hopeful of running her in a race sometime this month," O'Brien said.

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