The partnership of David Hayes and Tom Dabernig was only established this season and has rocketed through the 100-winners mark, but don't expect to see star runners in Sydney from the stable until March.
Hayes will target the Melbourne autumn for the next six weeks as he eyes another metropolitan premiership, this time with Dabernig.
"I'm locked in battle with Darren Weir for the premiership and that's why I have a focus on Melbourne. We have a very good team but until the Flemington carnival will be focussing on our backyard rather than coming up there," Hayes said.
"It makes more sense to do that. We will bring up the ones that are in form for the Golden Slipper carnival and the Championships but until then we won't have that many runners in Sydney."
Hayes is thinking about Sydney nonetheless and the unbeaten three-quarter sister to Black Caviar, Sistonic, who was impressive at Moonee Valley on Friday night, could head to a race such as the Galaxy.
"She will have her next run in the Typhoon Tracy and then races like the Newmarket [Handicap] and Galaxy are there for her," Hayes said. "But as I said our focus is our backyard at the moment, but we are looking at Sydney and planning for it."
The prelude to the autumn carnival will continue at Rosehill on Saturday as Catkins defends her Breeders Classic, where stablemate Arinosa also resumes along with Chintz from the Joe Pride yard. However David Payne is confident about Lilliburlero.
"She is a fragile mare with her problems, so we have to space her runs, but she gets in well in a race like this one," Payne said. "It is going to have some quality mares in it but on her day she is up to it."
The three-year-olds will be out in force in the Eskimo Prince, which is likely to be the return point for Golden Slipper winner Mossfun, along with Memorial from the Godolphin yard, Coolmore Stakes runner-up Delectation and Scissor Kick.
The strength of Sydney racing will be on show at Randwick and Newcastle on Monday and Rosehill on Tuesday as barrier trials feature numerous group 1 winners and autumn contenders.
Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist and Lucia Valentina will jump out under Hugh Bowman in Newcastle, while there are 36 trials from noon at Randwick. The late start will allow jockeys and trainers to pay their respects at the funeral of former jockey room attendant Bob Rowles at Our Lady Of The Sacred Heart in Randwick at 9.30am.
Meanwhile, Racing NSW stewards conduct an inquiry into two raceday swabs from Peter Moody-trained House Of Higgis, which showed the presence of the prohibited substance ibuprofen, on Monday afternoon.
