Hairy doesn't fill trainer Gary Portelli with much confidence most mornings at trackwork but raceday is a vastly different story.The six-year-old stakes winning sprinter lines up in the Listed Frank Underwood Cup at Rosehill on Saturday for her second start over 2000 metres.Hairy comes into the race after finishing strongly when a length second to Underwood favourite Rainbow Styling over Saturday's distance in the Tattersalls Cup at Randwick on New Years Day."She's a tricky horse to train and yo

Hairy doesn't fill trainer Gary Portelli with much confidence most mornings at trackwork but raceday is a vastly different story.

The six-year-old stakes winning sprinter lines up in the Listed Frank Underwood Cup at Rosehill on Saturday for her second start over 2000 metres.

Hairy comes into the race after finishing strongly when a length second to Underwood favourite Rainbow Styling over Saturday's distance in the Tattersalls Cup at Randwick on New Years Day.

"She's a tricky horse to train and you're never really confident with her because she's such an arthritic old mare," Portelli said.

"When she walks out of her box in the morning it takes her about 20 minutes before she's warmed up enough to go for a trot.

"But when she gets out there on raceday she just elevates, there's a spring in her stride and she really puts in."

Portelli is wary of the Gai Waterhouse-trained Rabbuka in the Underwood.

Racing manager for the Waterhouse stable Robyn Hartney said on Thursday that Rabbuka would be ridden more aggressively and return to his bold frontrunning pattern.

"If you're talking about any other trainer saying they'll go hard out in front you'd say that's great we'll be able to pick them up in the straight," Portelli said.

"But when it's Gai Waterhouse, they can really roll along in front and when they straighten up you knock up chasing them.

"It might just break up the field and will be a real test of stamina."

Leading jockey Corey Brown has the ride on Hairy.

"We'll be out the back and if they all blow a fuse trying to catch Rabbuka and it blows a fuse too, you know Hairy's going to be on scene," Portelli said.

Hairy, who won the Listed Carrington Stakes (1100m) last year, was transferred to Portelli from trainer David Payne after starting her career with Scone trainer Greg Bennett.

She won the Listed Sheraco Stakes (1100m) two years ago at just her second start for Payne.

She had her last run for Payne when 10th in the Group Three Dane Ripper Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm in May last year.

Portelli gave the mare a 23-week spell which on reflection he said was a mistake.

"It was the worst thing I did was give her such a long spell when I got her from David Payne," Portelli said.

"She was seized up something terrible in the first couple of months when I got her and I thought she was Buckley's of getting to the track."

The Warwick Farm horseman isn't sure how much longer Hairy will continue racing and if she does head to the breeding barn, Portelli is keen to snare some of her offspring down the track.

"She'll be a fantastic broodmare, if the courage and talent she's got can get into her foals they'll be great horses," Portelli said.

TAB Sportsbet has Rainbow Styling as its $2.80 favourite ahead of Rabbuka ($3.80) while Hairy is on the fourth line of betting at $8 behind Spinney ($7).