The track conditions and prevailing weather will be the deciding factors in whether Ole Dancer contests a Stakes race at Sandown.

The mare, trained by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman, is slated to compete in the Group 3 Carlyon Stakes over 1000 metres on Saturday.

This year’s Carlyon Stakes is being held at Sandown, as Moonee Valley, its traditional home, is undergoing extensive renovations and is expected to be out of action for racing for approximately 12 months.

Coleman indicated that the stable is monitoring the weather and track conditions closely, which were recorded as a Soft 6 on Thursday.

“She’s come back good,” Coleman stated.

“She has had that one trial. We’re looking at keeping her to shorter trips this time around, but we’re also keeping a watch on the weather and track conditions, so whether she kicks off this weekend or we wait for the following week, I think she will be forward enough to run well wherever we go.”

Having secured a victory last spring in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield, Coleman mentioned that the daughter of Ole Kirk would be campaigned over shorter distances this season.

Coleman suggested that keeping the mare fresh might unlock her best performances in this campaign.

“We felt that she lost a bit of that spark in a couple of her runs when we tried to stretch her out, so we’ve decided to drop her back in trip, keep her fresh, and pinging,” Coleman explained.

“That’s how we’re looking at the prep at this stage and whether we do end up getting her back out 1400 (metres), we’ll be open minded.”

Ole Dancer has not raced since finishing towards the rear of the field in the Group 1 Coolmore Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill in March.

Prior to that, she finished second first-up to Sass Appeal at Flemington on February 14, followed by a third-place finish behind Tempted in the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick.

Ole Dancer demonstrated her readiness with a win against stablemate Sheza Alibi in an 800-metre jump-out on July 28.

Given Ole Dancer’s racing style, which allows her to lead or settle further back, Coleman confirmed they would adopt a flexible approach on Saturday.

“We’ll just ride her where she’s comfortable,” Coleman concluded.

With the Carlyon Stakes at Sandown on Saturday, consider checking out the latest Australian betting sites for the best racing odds.