Trainer Steve Richards expects Rostova to improve on her disappointing campaign launch but admits a Group Three win in Saturday's Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington will be a bonus.Richards said Rostova had trained on well from her well-beaten seventh behind Corsaire in the Quezette Stakes on August 15 but he did not expect her to start peaking until the Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on September 19."She will run on Saturday and then it is two weeks to the Guineas Prelude over

Trainer Steve Richards expects Rostova to improve on her disappointing campaign launch but admits a Group Three win in Saturday's Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington will be a bonus.

Richards said Rostova had trained on well from her well-beaten seventh behind Corsaire in the Quezette Stakes on August 15 but he did not expect her to start peaking until the Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on September 19.

"She will run on Saturday and then it is two weeks to the Guineas Prelude over 1400 metres and that is when we will see where we are at with her," Richards said.

Rostova, who has won four of her eight starts including the Group Two VRC Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m), was excused for her first-up performance after she was later found to be in season.

Richards said the day was an aberration for the filly and that she never had a chance.

"Everything went wrong on the day but we put that in the past and move on," Richards said.

"She was in a grumpy mood, played up at the barriers, bungled the start and was on the wrong leg the whole way."

He said punters expected to her run up to her past first-up wins but her campaign had been geared towards the Group One Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 14.

"She is a three-year-old now and things are a little bit different," Richards said.

"I would have liked her to run better last start but at the end of the day she needed that run anyway.

"I wasn't that worried about winning a Quezette in August.

"This week I just want her to relax, sit in behind them and work to the line nicely."

Rostova is among 16 entries for the Danehill which includes a galaxy of star three-year-olds.

Sydney raiders are AJC Sires' Produce Stakes winner and Golden Slipper placegetter Manhattan Rain, last-start Up And Coming winner Rarefied and Black Opal Stakes winner Delago Bolt.

Peter Moody's unbeaten filly Black Caviar faces her biggest test while Kindergarten Stakes winner Wanted makes his debut for the Moody stable.

Mick Price has entered Corsaire and maiden Point Pain while Mark Kavanagh's three entries are Miraculous Miss who chased Black Caviar home in the Crockett Stakes at Moonee Valley, Seymour winner Grand Harmony and maiden St Kiara.

Tollespirit and Eclair Fastpass were placed behind Starspangledbanner in Saturday's McNeil Stakes at Caulfield and all three are nominated for a rematch.