Typhoon Tracy has proven herself to be the best mare in Australia - on dry tracks.But the four-time Group One winner appears likely to face a fresh challenge in Saturday's Queen of The Turf Stakes when she is set to race on genuinely rain-affected ground for the first time.The outstanding four-year-old has never been tested in slow or heavy conditions and despite a more optimistic forecast for mostly fine weather in Sydney on Thursday and Friday, Rosehill racecourse manager Lindsay Murphy says t

Typhoon Tracy has proven herself to be the best mare in Australia - on dry tracks.

But the four-time Group One winner appears likely to face a fresh challenge in Saturday's Queen of The Turf Stakes when she is set to race on genuinely rain-affected ground for the first time.

The outstanding four-year-old has never been tested in slow or heavy conditions and despite a more optimistic forecast for mostly fine weather in Sydney on Thursday and Friday, Rosehill racecourse manager Lindsay Murphy says the track will be slow at best.

"If we get that forecast I could see it getting to slow," Murphy said.

"But if we get more rain it will stay around the mark it is now.

"It's a heavy (eight) at the moment, we had 43 mils fall Tuesday night."

Typhoon Tracy was the $2.40 favourite with TAB Sportsbet on Wednesday ahead of filly More Joyous at $3 with Neroli, who won the Queen Of The Turf (1500m) on a heavy track 12 months ago, at $9.

Joe Pride, who will start outsider Miss Marielle ($81), says the wet conditions will make things interesting.

"I wouldn't say it's a race for second, not if the track is really heavy," Pride said.

"Neroli is a high-class mare on a wet track and there's a few others there so I wouldn't be conceding the race.

"If Typhoon Tracy handles it and gets a good run then she probably will win but anything can happen."

Miss Marielle was not considered adept on wet ground until she won the Craven Plate (2000m) on a slow track last spring.

That victory was the icing on the cake for what had been a career-best preparation highlighted by seconds in the Toy Show Quality and Chelmsford Stakes and another win in the Group Two Hill Stakes.

Her two runs this time in have been below par with unplaced efforts in both the Liverpool City Cup won by Dreamscape and Alverta's Coolmore Classic.

However, Miss Marielle does usually improve as her preparation goes on and Pride reports she has been pleasing him with her work and attitude at home.

"As far as excuses go she probably hasn't had any," Pride said.

"I've been happy with her before both her runs and she's surprised me a bit with her form.

"She's not in over her head class-wise on Saturday but she's got to start to do it.

"She has got to perform this weekend or I'll be disappointed."

The Queen Of The Turf Stakes is one of five Group One races at Rosehill and has attracted a final field of 13 including South Australian Majestic Music and the Bart Cummings-trained Allez Wonder.