The stars are aligned for Ortensia to claim her second Group One victory in Saturday's BTC Cup at Doomben but trainer Tony Noonan fears the glamour mare might be vulnerable."I can't fault her and her work has been very good but this is 1200 metres around Doomben and she could be vulnerable," Noonan said."Her racing pattern suggests she'll give them a head start."She's won over 1350 metres at Doomben but they could be a bit nippy for her over 1200 metres."She'll still be competitive and she's yet

The stars are aligned for Ortensia to claim her second Group One victory in Saturday's BTC Cup at Doomben but trainer Tony Noonan fears the glamour mare might be vulnerable.

"I can't fault her and her work has been very good but this is 1200 metres around Doomben and she could be vulnerable," Noonan said.

"Her racing pattern suggests she'll give them a head start.

"She's won over 1350 metres at Doomben but they could be a bit nippy for her over 1200 metres.

"She'll still be competitive and she's yet to be beaten with a set of blinkers on."

The daughter of Testa Rossa wore the hood for the first time in her Group Two Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) victory at Ascot in Perth last November before winning with blinkers on in last month's Group One The Galaxy (1100m) at Randwick.

Ortensia, who has cheated death twice, is part-owned by Alister Fraser who went to the same Sydney school as the mare's jockey Hugh Bowman.

"Fate is a remarkable thing," Fraser said.

"I went to school with Hugh in Sydney but he was a couple of years behind me."

Fraser confirmed Bowman would likely retain the ride on Ortensia for the Group One Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm next month if the four-year-old wins the BTC Cup and Group One Doomben 10,000 (1350m) on May 29.

"If Hugh wins on her at her next two starts then it would be very hard to take him off for the Stradbroke," Fraser said.

Bowman has a firm booking to partner Ortensia in the BTC Cup and Doomben 10,000 after regular rider Craig Williams accepted an offer to ride in Japan for leading trainer Noriyuki Hori.

Noonan said when he first booked Bowman that Williams had not been given a guarantee he would be reunited with Ortensia after he completed his Japanese commitments.

Noonan picked out four Group One sprints, including the Doomben 10,000 and $1 million Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm, for Ortensia in Brisbane in preference to an overseas trip for the KrisFlyer International Sprint (1200m) at Kranji in Singapore on Sunday.

Fraser, who now helps his parents run a property at Scone in the NSW Hunter Valley, is hoping Ortensia can vindicate Noonan's decision to come to Brisbane for the winter.

He revealed Ortensia was lucky to be racing after suffering a serious infection for the second time in her career while in Perth.

"She's nearly died twice," Fraser said.

"After she won the Caulfield Guineas Prelude she got an infection in the tendon sheath.

"She was rushed to the Ballarat veterinary hospital and operated on and it was touch and go whether she'd race again.

"We nearly lost her when she became very badly lame and got an infection while spelling in Perth.

"She was sick for a few days but that was before she came back and won a Group One and it would have been a shame to retire her as just a Group Two winner."