“She has the option to target the Vinery in Sydney or even have a little break and go to Queensland for a winter campaign, which would also be from our stable.
“But she won’t be contesting the Derby or the Oaks here as getting Australian black type becomes crucial for her as she already has her Group 1 (1000 Guineas) and Group two (Eight Carat Classic) here.
“Once this season is done she will join an Australian trainer with her owners here retaining part of her.
“That is probably what we would have done had she been fully retained here anyway, she would have gone to Australia as there are so many great races she can target over there.”
Molly Bloom will be favourite for the Ellis Classic, one of Saturday’s four black type races which include two Group 1s on Legends Day at Te Rapa.
The O’Sullivan/Scott camp will have both Waitak and Dragon Leap in the $400,000 BCD Sprint where they could potentially meet a trio of three-year-olds with Crocetti the favourite but Quintessa and the now-gelded Solidify also among the entries.
Fields for the mammoth day will be out before 11am on Wednesday.
While Saturday looms large for the stable, they also have a strong team entered on their home track of Matamata today including 2022 New Zealand Derby winner Asterix.
The 5-year-old has only had seven starts since that classic win over La Crique at Ellerslie two years ago and is still very much on the way up today.
“He will run well but there is still a twist in him fitness-wise,” says co-trainer Andrew Scott.
“This is his first time over ground this time in after two 1600m races.
“Usually it takes them a run over ground to get back to their best at the extra distance.
“So I think he will improve with this and be better for the Avondale Cup [February 17] and then his main aim, which is the Auckland Cup.”
Plenty of rivals today appear to be on the same path using the rare midweek $50,000 open handicap as a stepping stone bigger goals ahead at Ellerslie over the next month.
At the other end of the experience spectrum are the 2-year-olds in today’s 1100m race, with all six on debut.
They could have faced a far more daunting task as unbeaten filly Captured By Love and her eventual runner-up at Taranaki on Saturday in Love Poem were both accepted for today’s race.
But with that pair scratched, one of the debutantes will have a winning welcome to racing.
Scott says it could be Zelezniak, named after the New Zealand Warriors cult hero winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
“I am a huge Warriors fan but my wife Sarah is just as mad about them and named this horse,” Scott says.
“We really like him. He is well educated, has been really focused at the trials and he will be hard to beat.”
That confidence was matched soon after opening odds were released yesterday with Zelezniak into $2.30 favouritism, although there has also been support for local filly Alabama Lass, who has also won two trials for local trainers Ken and Bev Kelso.
“He will go a big race and the other horse we really like tomorrow is Smokeshow (R6, No 4),” adds Scott.
“He was a good winner last start and hasn’t finished winning yet.
“Add to that some other good chances, including two in the last, and we should be in for a good day.”
