ONE of the more curious aspects of Australian racing is that when it comes to an event like tomorrow's $3.5 million Golden Slipper Stakes at Rosehill, punters and pundits alike tend to want to shy away from the bleeding obvious.

Sure, it is a race for two-year-olds - the richest in the world for that age - and the youngsters' form can often ebb and flow for no apparent reason, but sometimes there is a standout colt or filly that cannot be ignored.

That horse this year is the General Nediym filly Military Rose and it seems the most damning factor about her chances tomorrow is that she happens to have won five races in a row.

It is a bit like the psychology involved in playing the famous Australian game of two-up when, if some one manages to throw a number of heads in a row, most of the punters want to back a tail.

Likewise, the favourite sport in some of the racing media this week has been coming up with reasons why Military Rose cannot win the Golden Slipper.

Most of these reasons concern the renowned ‘'pressure'' of the Golden Slipper or the likelihood of a rain-affected track - both valid points - but why these factors should affect Military Rose more than any other runner is something that escapes me.

Both trainer Gillian Heinrich and jockey Stathi Katsidis have assured anyone who has asked that, rather than be feeling the effects of a long campaign, the filly is going into the Golden Slipper at least as fit as she has been at any stage of her preparation.

The lingering doubts may have something to do with the fact that Heinrich and Katsidis are not yet household names among the racing fans in the southern states although they have proved to be a formidable combination in Queensland.

Katsidis missed the ride on Military Rose at her most recent start in the Reisling Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on March 20 because of suspension and his replacement Michael Rodd, who rides the colt Beneteau in the Golden Slipper, was full of praise for the filly.

It is significant that Military Rose's biggest winning margins, two and a quarter lengths  in both the Gold Coast Magic Millions and the Reisling Stakes, have been at her past two starts, suggesting that her form is hardly tapering off.

In the Magic Millions, she led all the way with Katsidis letting her stride away from the field at the top of the straight before easing her down in the run to the line.

At her last start, Rodd was happy to take a sit two back and then gave her a kick at the top of the straight and she quickly had the race won before being eased down close to home.

Henrich does not want Military Rose to do it all from the front tomorrow and believes she will be just as comfortable taking a sit just off the lead.

As it turns out, the two rivals most touted to beat Military Rose tomorrow - the Gai Waterhouse-trained colt Brightexpectations and rhe Melbourne filly Crystal Lily have had as much or more racing.

Brightexpectations has had five starts for three wins and he did finish tenth, beaten 7.7 lengths behind Military Rose in the Magic Millions, while Crystal Lily has had six starts for three wins which tends to put to bed any suggestion that Military Rose might be ‘'over the top.''

And , the prospect of a rain-affected track should not deter any fans of Military Rose. She boasts the best wet track form in the race with two of her wins on dead going and one on a slow track.

Military Rose is out of the Flying Spur mare Bella Maddelena. As well as winning the 1995 Golden Slipper, the Flying Spur genes have flowed on to produce many wet trackers and a second generation filly should be no exception.

Prepost operators yesterday were quoting Military Rose at $3.60  and she may get to even better odds on the course tomorrow.

Other than something going horribly wrong, which, of course, is never out of the question, it is hard to imagine Military Rose not being in the finish of the Golden Slipper. If she wins, it will be the second in a row for Queensland after the barnstorming win of Phelan Ready, with Brad Rawiller aboard (pictured with the trophy, above) last year.

On  a terrific card of Group One racing, the $2,250,000 wfa BMW (2400m) caters for the older stayers and the mare Divine Rebel appeals as terrific eachway value at odds of $20 or better. While Australia's best older mare Typhoon Tracy should be far too good for her own sexi in the Inglis Queen Of The Turf  Stakes (1500m).

(Tony Bourke is former chief racing writer at The Age.)