Desleigh Forster is hoping her decision to raise the bar with former Victorian filly Martika will pay off in the Listed Mode Plate at Eagle Farm.Formerly trained by Peter Moody, Martika is part-owned by prominent breeders Peter and Wendy Moran who sent her to Forster following her last start eighth in the Listed Dermody Stakes (1050m) at Morphettville in July.Martika spelled in Queensland during the winter and did her pre-training under Forster before campaigning for Moody in Victoria and South

Desleigh Forster is hoping her decision to raise the bar with former Victorian filly Martika will pay off in the Listed Mode Plate at Eagle Farm.

Formerly trained by Peter Moody, Martika is part-owned by prominent breeders Peter and Wendy Moran who sent her to Forster following her last start eighth in the Listed Dermody Stakes (1050m) at Morphettville in July.

Martika spelled in Queensland during the winter and did her pre-training under Forster before campaigning for Moody in Victoria and South Australia last preparation.

Forster scratched Martika from a midweek race at Doomben on Wednesday to tackle Saturday's 1200-metre feature.

"You don't get many opportunities to run in a Listed race so I decided to give her a go in the Mode Plate instead of Doomben yesterday," Forster said.

"Jimmy (Byrne) won a barrier trial on her at Doomben last week and he was very happy to commit to her.

"If she can win it will boost her broodmare value which is what Peter (Moran) wants."

Eagle Farm was rated a heavy (8) on Thursday and the prospects of an upgrade looked remote given weather forecasts for further rain periods.

"She's very adaptable and has won on a heavy track but she's never been to 1200 metres yet," Forster said.

Trainer Bary Baldwin is rolling the dice to start Paris Blu who was given a barrier trial at Deagon on Tuesday following her first-up eighth to Lady Montel at Eagle Farm last month.

Baldwin doesn't normally trial his runners so close to a race but felt the need to change his normal training methods with Paris Blu.

"She trialled at Deagon on Tuesday and ran third to Startsmeup but it's rather unorthodox for me to trial them the same week of a race," Baldwin said.

"I only did it because I felt she needed a run as she hasn't started for three weeks."

The daughter of explosive sprinter Murphy's Blu Boy, winner of the 2003 Group Three Blue Diamond Preview, is being aimed at next month's $1 million Magic Millions Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast.

Murphy's Blu Boy died prematurely last week in a stallion barn accident.

Paris Blu showed last campaign she was capable of winning in good company although it took her three starts to find her best form when she downed talented stablemate Shamillion in a maiden at Ipswich on May 21.

She proved the win was no fluke when she beat Shamillion again at her next start in the Magic Millions Plate at the Gold Coast on June 9 before finishing fourth to Shamillion in the Listed Australia Post Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm later that month.

Baldwin felt Paris Blu was unlucky in the Australia Post Stakes after being caught wide from her near outside barrier draw.

"She ran a cheeky race in the Australia Post and was beaten just over a length by Shamillion who I rate highly," he said.

AAP TURF gmd/cw