Trainer Sarah Cotton is living by the adage of keeping herself in the best company and her horse in the worst, dodging the major sprint features for her smart galloper In The Ocean, who resumes at the Ladbrokes Racing Centre, Mowbray, on Friday night.

In The Ocean is rated the best horse in the field, will carry the topweight of 58kg, and has drawn barrier seven.

“He jumps and puts himself into the race; he doesn’t necessarily have to be ridden in the first one or two. Troy (Baker) has had a couple of rides on him now, and he knows the horse. He’ll put himself where he needs to be; he’s pretty smart like that,” Cotton said.

Cotton is keen to stay away from the topliners in the Goodwood and Newmarket Handicaps, preferring to stick with Open class races on route to the Royal Rambo Stakes on Launceston Cup Day.

“He loves Launceston, and he does love the 1100 up there.

“He’s a pretty simple horse; after his last run in Hobart we gave him a little let-up in the paddock, and he’s been back in work and ticking over really nicely.”

In The Ocean hasn’t been seen at any public trials but always races well when fresh.

“The goal is to run him in this race, and to miss the Newmarket and the Goodwood; obviously those horses from Barry Campbell’s stable are pretty smart, so we thought we would run him in this race, then another short let-up and just aim for the open handicaps and the target is the Royal Rambo again.”

In The Ocean has won seven times from 21 starts. Six of those wins have been in Launceston, all at 1100m, with a further five placings from his 11 starts at that track and distance.

“He’s probably not a genuine weight-for-age horse just because he’s not overly big; he has the ability, but he is badly weighted against the bigger, better horses, so we will just try and skirt around them this carnival. There’s a good race in him; it’s just finding the right one.”

It’s a big weekend for Cotton, who is expecting a child within the next couple of weeks, with In The Ocean and stablemate Gee Gees Brother both racing on Friday night. Her attention will then turn to Caulfield on Saturday to watch her former apprentice Jabez Johnstone ride in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup.

“I just couldn’t be any prouder of him. It was such a huge step to go there during the second year of his apprenticeship; the writing was on the wall with how he used to ride here. I supported him from day one with any horse I had racing, and other trainers down here also supported him. It's an honour to watch him, and I’m just so proud.”

Johnstone will ride Kings Valley in the Cup; he’s also booked to ride in the Melbourne Cup, marking two years since his first race ride in Hobart on Melbourne Cup Day 2024.

Friday night's meeting gets underway at 18:07. Codi Jordan, back from her extended holiday, will join Colin McNiff on Tasracing Live and Sky Thoroughbred Central for all the action.