A first Group One victory for Rasa Lila would crown the quality mare’s return from a near death experience.

Trainers Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie are more than happy with the six-year-old’s progress toward a first-up crack – weather permitting - at Saturday’s Fiber Fresh New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes at Te Rapa.

“She’s heading to the Group One and she’s doing really well now,” Ritchie said. “She races well when she’s fresh.”

Rasa Lila hasn’t started since she finished fifth in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic in the spring, after which she suffered an attack of colic.

“We were looking at the Captain Cook Stakes for her and thankfully she came through the surgery well, she was so fit at the time that it stood her in good stead,” Ritchie said.

“She recovered quite quickly, but it was quite terrifying and upsetting at the time.”

Rasa Lila is the winner of the Gr.2 Travis Stakes and Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes and she also has Group One placings in the Easter Stakes and the Windsor Park Plate to her credit.

The daughter of Darci Brahma has trialled twice in her build-up toward the Breeders’ Stakes, a race she finished sixth in 12 months ago.

“We gave her a nice, quiet trial fresh-up and then Leith (Innes) was really happy with her the other day,” Ritchie said.

Under a kind ride from Innes, Rasa Lila finished off well for second in her 1200 metre heat at Matamata.

“She’s not a horse that needs a lot of work and once she’s fit we just have to keep her ticking over,” Ritchie said.