Well-bred filly Sister Cynane promises to continue Wexford Stables’ successful partnership with the three-year-old’s owner.
Trainers Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott have forged a Group-winning association with Eugene Chuang's Asian-based operation Hermitage Thoroughbreds, with their latest representative to open her season at Taupo.
A high-priced yearling, Sister Cynane finished runner-up in her only appearance as a juvenile and will bid to go one better when she resumes in Friday's Press Statement At Novara Park Maiden (1200m).
"Lance and (brother) Paul built the relationship and we've had a wonderful run of success with them and we're hoping this filly can carry that on," Scott said.
Their flagship performers have been the Group One winners Rocket Spade (New Zealand Derby, 2400m), Willie Cazals (Livamol Classic, 2040m) and Summer Passage (Sistema Stakes, 1200m).
Multiple Group winners and top-flight placegetters Dragon Leap and Spring Heat have also added to the victory roll.
"Dragon Leap 's been knocking on the door in the big ones and we're not saying that he can't do it yet either," Scott said.
"He'll run in a few weeks' time at Rotorua and hopefully he can pick up a feature sprint through the summer.
"He had a bit of a setback before the Foxbridge (Gr.2, 1200m) and he's back as well as ever."
Sister Cynane boasts a rich pedigree as a daughter of I Am Invincible and the Gr.1 Tatt's Tiara (1350m) winner Prompt Response and came with a A$1.3 million price tag from the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
"We were patient with her through to the back end of her two-year-old season," Scott said.
"We've brought her up nice and steadily and gave her a quiet trial and she's forward enough to be competitive. We think she's got stacks of ability and will only get better as the season goes on."
Sister Cynane is one of a number of young horses the stable will be represented by in maiden events at Taupo.
"The likes of Sethito, Sought After, Tristar, Checkmate and Smart Love have all got good levels of education at barrier trials and learned to settle and done the necessary work to have them competitive on race day," Scott said.
"We're looking for them all to hit the line well and get their campaigns underway and all of them are nominated for the Guineas (at Riccarton), so they've got to put the performances together to proceed down there.
"We took all of our first starters down to Taupo 10 days ago for a gallop to familiarise them."
Meanwhile, the stable's Gr.1 Railway (1200m) winner Waitak will bypass the Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Hastings following his resuming fourth in the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) and fifth in the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m).
"His run at Te Rapa was a big one in really soft ground and at Hastings he was solid and we tipped him out after that for a wee chance to freshen," Scott said.
"Those two races may have come a little too quickly for him, so he'll head to Rotorua for the weight-for-age race (Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes, 1215m).
"We think he'll sprint much better fresh and we'll keep him short of the seven furlongs (1400m) for the next wee bit."
