PHILIP Feanny's big gun, PRINCESS POPSTAR, is out of tomorrow's Thornbird Stakes, but the 14-time champion trainer still holds the aces with BUBBLING ANGELINE, who underlined her credentials with a five-length victory last Wednesday.

The big chestnut filly easily ticked off her fourth win from six starts, cruising in by five lengths at 1200 metres, clocking 1:13.1. She was even more impressive in her previous race, an 11-length romp at 1100 metres in 1:06.4.

With PRINCESS POPSTAR ruled out with a strained muscle, picked up at exercise Sunday morning, BUBBLING ANGELINE, easily the next best three-year-old filly in training, should defy topweight 57 kilos and make every post a winning one.

The closest another filly apart from PRINCESS POPSTAR has got to BUBBLING ANGELINE was two lengths that separated her from third-place MISS JUANITA after a battle royal on the lead with United States-bred FORCE DE JOUR in the 1400-metre Sweet Ruckus Trophy late December.

MISS JUANITA returned in the February 15 Hot Line Stakes and lost by almost eight lengths to QUEEN PAULA, who won in a modest 1:14.4.

BUBBLING ANGELINE is set to close a double for Feanny as REASONABLE PRESS, pushed down in class on a $350,000 tag after placing fourth, by three lengths, behind JACK DE CHARMER on a $500,000 tag, should prove all but impossible to beat at a mile.

The six-year-old United States-bred will carry only 51 kilos due to apprentice Orlando Foster's three-kilo claim.

The day's open allowance, the third event, should be a competitive one with champion trainer Wayne DaCosta fielding two tough runners in the seven-horse field, RUM PUNCH and EXOTIC GOLD, going up against Ian Parsard's UPPA TUNE and Lawrence Freemantle's MILITARY MOVE in a seven-horse field.

UPPA TUNE is the speediest in the line-up and is bound to drag the field for a long way. However, topweight 57 kilos, going 1820 metres, with stalkers hot on heel, should prove too much for the speedster.

MILITARY MOVE is best suited to upstage DaCosta's duo after his strong second-place run behind PERFECT NEIGHBOUR on February 26.

Freemantle's runner carried 52.0 kilos against PERFECT NEIGHBOUR and lost by a length and three quarter at a mile. EXOTIC GOLD and RUM PUNCH, stablemates of PERFECT NEIGHBOUR, had finished fourth and fifth, respectively, comprehensively beaten by MILITARY MOVE.