A Group Two placing is seldom a source of frustration, yet Tupakara’s camp left the Tea Rose Stakes thinking there was more on the table.

Sent out a clear favourite off her flashing first-up second to Apocalyptic, the three-year-old was ridden closer to the tempo last start and boxed on for third behind the same filly, two lengths adrift.

Co-trainer Annabel Archibald initially suspected the handier position dulled Tupakara’s finish, but a deeper look tempered that theory.

“My initial thought was that but the winner was three-wide outside us covering ground and they went a second slower than standard to the corner,” Archibald said.

“It’s all well and good saying, ‘ride her quieter’ but when it’s a slow tempo, it’s probably more so just a flat second-up run.

“But we won’t be bustling her out of the gates. We will just ride her where she’s happy.”

Next comes a rematch with Apocalyptic in the Princess Series finale, Saturday’s Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.

Drawn the outside in barrier 11, Tupakara at least brings proven mile credentials at headquarters, having finished third in the Champagne Stakes (1600m) as a juvenile, while her recent conqueror stretches to the trip for the first time.

Archibald concedes a lift is required but hopes the extra furlong is the spark.

“They’ve all got a bit of improving to do to catch the favourite but she worked really well (on Tuesday) morning and she’s third-up,” Archibald said.

“She went very close in the Champagne as a two-year-old so we know the mile here suits and she is rock-hard fit.”

“The favourite looks very smart but they’re three-year-old fillies. They are all fairly lightly raced and anything can happen.”

Stablemate Next Jen is scratched from the Flight and instead heads to the Listed Dulcify Quality (1600m), where she draws better and adds first-time blinkers.

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