The Group Two Villiers Stakes at Randwick could be the carrot to lure Gold Coast mare Femina Fashion to Sydney next month.Femina Fashion will make her comeback in Saturday's $100,000 Keith Noud Quality (1200m) at Doomben after illness robbed her of an Epsom Handicap campaign in Sydney during the spring.Trainer Trevor Whittington decided to play it safe with Femina Fashion and sent her for a short break after she developed an elevated temperature on the eve of her planned comeback at Doomben in S

The Group Two Villiers Stakes at Randwick could be the carrot to lure Gold Coast mare Femina Fashion to Sydney next month.

Femina Fashion will make her comeback in Saturday's $100,000 Keith Noud Quality (1200m) at Doomben after illness robbed her of an Epsom Handicap campaign in Sydney during the spring.

Trainer Trevor Whittington decided to play it safe with Femina Fashion and sent her for a short break after she developed an elevated temperature on the eve of her planned comeback at Doomben in September.

"I had her ready to go at Doomben and if she had raced well she was going to run in the Bill Ritchie and hopefully the Epsom Handicap," Whittington said.

"But I decided to turn her out after she got a minor virus. I'm a great believer in giving horses a good break after they come down with a virus like she had."

Whittington's preferred option is to remain at home to tackle the Magic Millions Stayer's Cup (1800m) on her home track in January.

"I would rather just head to the Magic Millions race with her but her owners are keen to go to Sydney for the Villiers," Whittington said.

"We'll just take it one step at a time for the time being but if her form is good enough she'll go south."

Femina Fashion has not started since finishing a tiring ninth to New Zealand filly Miss Keepsake in the Group One Queensland Oaks (2400m) at Eagle Farm in June.

Earlier in the winter carnival she stamped her class by winning the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) on May 8 before finishing second to Victorian mare Marheta in the Group Three The Roses (2020m) at Doomben two weeks later.

Larry Cassidy rode Femina Fashion in the Queensland Oaks and was offered the ride in the Keith Noud Quality but had a prior commitment to the Tracy Green-trained The Sixties.

Caloundra jockey Eddie Wilkinson has benefited from Cassidy's decision and will partner Femina Fashion, who is a daughter of Shamardal.

Femina Fashion has been in work long enough to perform well first-up and produced a slashing effort when runner-up to Gold Coast flyer Rasmussen in a 1060-metre barrier trial at Doomben last week.

Whittington is confident Femina Fashion will acquit herself well in her return despite the unsuitable 1200 metres.

"It's a class field and a lot tougher than I expected," he said.

"She'll race handy from her good draw (barrier two) and should get the run of the race."