Trainer Kelso Wood believes statistics can be misleading and is confident Zero Rock has all the boxes ticked to maintain her unbeaten record this campaign in the Listed Lough Neagh Stakes at Doomben.The major query with Zero Rock ahead of Saturday's 1350-metre feature has been her lack of success in races beyond 1200 metres.The distance query comes further into play after Doomben was downgraded to a slow (7) following Thursday's storms and a forecast for more rain.Despite the queries with Zero R

Trainer Kelso Wood believes statistics can be misleading and is confident Zero Rock has all the boxes ticked to maintain her unbeaten record this campaign in the Listed Lough Neagh Stakes at Doomben.

The major query with Zero Rock ahead of Saturday's 1350-metre feature has been her lack of success in races beyond 1200 metres.

The distance query comes further into play after Doomben was downgraded to a slow (7) following Thursday's storms and a forecast for more rain.

Despite the queries with Zero Rock, Wood is unconcerned and plans to start her even if a heavy track eventuates.

Zero Rock has an outstanding record with nine wins from 17 starts but winning past 1200 metres has eluded her in four attempts.

Two of those failures came this time last year when she was runner-up to Ghetto Blaster in the Lough Neagh Stakes and to Walking Or Dancing in the Magic Millions Cup (1400m) at the Gold Coast.

In the wet, Zero Rock has won once on a slow track from two attempts while she is yet to be tested in heavy going.

Wood hasn't been distracted by the recent deluge and has stuck to his original plan to target the Lough Neagh Stakes and next month's Magic Millions Cup at the Gold Coast.

"She'll go into the Lough Neagh as probably the best prepared of any runner," Wood said.

"The rain we've had hasn't helped a lot of her opponents and it's been my plan all along to target these two races."

Wood nominated Zero Rock for the rescheduled Group Three George Moore Stakes and Listed Just Now Handicap at Eagle Farm last Saturday but decided to bypass both features to concentrate on the Lough Neagh.

The George Moore was one of three races at the meeting abandoned following a storm which drenched the track.

"She's ready to go to 1350 metres now so things have gone the way we wanted with her," Wood said.

Wood gave Zero Rock an extra week to recover from her last-start win in the Listed Travel Associates Classic Plate (1200m) atEagle Farm on November 27.

"She did it pretty tough from the jump last start when she was taken on for the lead," he said.

"She's relaxing a lot better in her races now and even in her trackwork she doesn't want to go as fast as she once did.

"She used to break 34 seconds in her trackwork every time I put her down but now she's a lot more mature and wants to settle more in her races."

Wood has no doubt Zero Rock can run a strong 1400 metres and is looking forward to her next two runs in the Lough Neagh and Magic Millions Cup at the Gold Coast on January 15.

"She can run 1400 metres, no risk," he said.

"When she got beaten this time last year in the Lough Neagh and Magic Millions she was beaten by better horses on the day."

Chris Munce has been retained as the mare's rider.