Nathan Purdon has a strong hand that could deliver him back to back Group 1 victories in little more than half an hour should the cards fall his way at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Saturday night.

The Geelong trainer will harness equal favorite Amore Vita in the NSW Oaks, where the daughter of Art Major will start from barrier nine and clash with the other heat winner, Madrid, who fared the better of the two in four.

Purdon believes Amore Vita can extend her winning sequence to six consecutive victories since finishing runner up in the Breeders Crown two-year-old fillies final in November.

“She is a filly with the right ability to win the race,” said Purdon, who was happy to take the awkward alley in his stride.

“She is pretty versatile, so Chris (Alford) will make his mind up as the race unfolds. She can sit parked if she has to or is capable of sitting off them if we can slot in somewhere and if the speed is on."

Much of the camp's confidence comes from the improvement of their charge over recent months.

“She grew a lot in the first three months when she arrived and she is still trying to fill into her frame,” Purdon said.

His mare Spellbound will also have to contend with barrier nine when she takes on the country’s best mares in the race prior, the Queen Elizabeth II Mile.

“It’s not the worst draw in the world for her as often the race opens up when there are four or five genuine chances,” he said.

“She is probably the fastest mare I’ve driven for point to point speed, so she can sit off them and come with one run over the last 400 metres.”

There are opportunities aplenty for the Victorian brigade on Saturday night.

Damien Burns is confident Solesseo Matuca will be close to his peak in his attempt to qualify for next week’s NSW Derby Final from the coveted pole position in his heat.

Burns believes the testing 2400-metre journey for the three-year-olds will suit his colt.

“I am looking forward to the challenge because I think he is more tough than fast,” he said.

“He is a determined little horse and I think he will run the distance while it might test a few of them.”

Burns, who is travelling interstate with a horse for the first time in his career, is confident the son of A Rocknroll Dance has matured for his first Derby assignment.

“I couldn’t be happier with him.” he said. “He seems to know what he’s doing now, when to go in a race and when not to.”

The night also features the Miracle Mile qualifiers the Scheppes Sprint and Allied Express Sprint.

Emma Stewart's Like A Wildfire's drawn gate one for the former and shares the Group 1 with David Aiken's Malcolms Rhythm (gate five) and Michael Stanley's Rock N Roll Doo, whose out-of-the-draw status again has him starting to the far outside.

Aiken also has Max Delight in the Allied Express Sprint, with the Victoria Cup champ drawing gate four, directly outside Cruz Bromac (gate three) and King Of Swing (gate two). The first two home in each book a start in next week's Miracle Mile.