Te Rapa trainer John Morell was pleased with Florence Jean’s trial win on his home track on Tuesday and is aiming at starting the four-year-old in a week’s time.

“I’m delighted with the way she looks at the moment,” Morell said. “She is finally starting to mature a bit and has a nice coat on her at the moment.

“Being close and handy we thought we would see where we were with her and get a bit of a line on her.

“We’re looking at going to New Plymouth for a rating 82 (1200m). If the track is too bad down there she will go to a (rating) 72 1200m at Avondale the same day.”

The Pins mare has had a bit of bad luck in her career-to-date but did manage to secure black-type when runner-up to Dijon Bleu in the Gr.3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) last year.

“We had a few setbacks with her last year, so we’re just taking it day-by-day,” Morell said.

“She had issues with her front feet and she got a virus after the Gold Trail Stakes and we couldn’t chase that off for a month.

“When we finally got rid of that she felt the ground. We thought we had her right to take her to Ruakaka a couple of weeks ago and then she got a stone bruise on her back foot.

“She has got a bit of ability, sometimes those Pins mares need a bit of time. She looks like she will be competitive over 1200m or 1000m even.”