Pat Hyland won't be totally surprised if his stable star Zarita upsets some of the country's best weight-for-age horses first-up in Sunday's CF Orr Stakes at Caulfield.The former champion jockey, who often rides Zarita in her trackwork gallops, says that while her best form hasn't been first-up she is better than ever going into the Group One 1400m feature."I can see her coming into the race and running super," Hyland said."I'm just not quite sure she'll sprint as well as some of these horses. S

Pat Hyland won't be totally surprised if his stable star Zarita upsets some of the country's best weight-for-age horses first-up in Sunday's CF Orr Stakes at Caulfield.

The former champion jockey, who often rides Zarita in her trackwork gallops, says that while her best form hasn't been first-up she is better than ever going into the Group One 1400m feature.

"I can see her coming into the race and running super," Hyland said.

"I'm just not quite sure she'll sprint as well as some of these horses. She hasn't drawn well (11) but I must say the way she feels to me that she could have improved since her last preparation.

"On her second to Weekend Hussler in the Makybe Diva and an unlucky fifth to him in the Underwood, I can see her running exceptionally well in this race.

"This mare is a very good mare. She ran fourth in the Cox Plate, beaten a length-and-a-half, and she's done very well this preparation.

"Her first-up runs haven't been her best runs although she did win a two-year-old fillies maiden at Yarra Glen at her debut, she's usually needed a run to come to hand."

The Cranbourne trainer rates the dual Group One winner of the Australasian Oaks and the South Australian Derby as a better mare than his former top mare Saleous who won twice at the highest level, in the 1995 VRC Oaks and the 1996 Ansett Australia Stakes.

Saleous went on to win the 1996 Craiglee, now Makybe Diva Stakes, and was fourth in the Underwood Stakes, third in the Mackinnon Stakes and runner-up in the Blamey Stakes that season.

"Saleous was a very good mare. I think Zarita is a little bit better mare than her but now is the time for her to stand up and be counted," Hyland said.

Dwayne Dunn, who replaced the now retired Greg Childs on Zarita in the Cox Plate, retains the mount on Sunday and will ride the Pentire four-year-old through her Melbourne autumn campaign.

Zarita will go from the Orr to the Group Two St George Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on February 21 and then on to the $1 million Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 7.

She'll then go to Sydney for the $2.25 million The BMW (2400m) at Rosehill on April 4.

The Mick Price-trained Light Fantastic has continued to firm in TAB Sportsbet's fixed odds market and the grey is now $3 favourite after opening at $3.80 after acceptances on Wednesday.

Epsom Handicap and Mackinnon Stakes winner Theseo and Cox Plate winner Maldivian are at $6.50 with the David Hayes-trained pair, Niconero and Von Costa De Hero, at $8.50 along with Price's second string Alamosa.

2007 Cox Plate winner El Segundo is at $11 while Zarita is at $41.