But it seems Steven Woodsford and Steve and Sharon Bruce - the owners of Miss Seton Sands - are very much on the same page with the 4yr-old mare.
The daughter of Gonski claimed her second black-type win when she hit the line powerfully to win the listed open 1200m at Wingatui on Saturday.
Miss Seton Sands had already won the listed New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Stakes at Ashburton in March as a 3yr-old and placed in the Gore Guineas that season.
She has returned as a 4yr-old in fine fettle, winning at Timaru in October, then running third in both the listed Pegasus Stakes and the group 3 Stewards Stakes during New Zealand Cup week.
So what do the connections agree on? They both think she's a very good horse.‘‘She's the best sprinter we've had. She has fantastic acceleration when you ask her to go,'' Woodsford said.
Steve Bruce said Miss Seton Sands would be the best they've ever owned, although her dam, Whodat Cugat, was a smart horse.
‘‘Her mother was potentially really good,'' Bruce said.
‘‘She ran third in the Soliloquy in her first race and not many horses can do that - she really was quite special.''Whodat Cugat went amiss shortly after winning first-up in Australia in September 2008, and the Bruces left her in Australia to breed from her.
When asked for more details on the sire of Miss Seton Sands - Gonski - Bruce had a simple answer.
‘‘Put it this way, he was the cheapest stallion standing at Darley,'' Bruce said, chuckling.
‘‘Every stallion leaves a good one and I'm hoping this one is Gonski's one.''
The Bruces had the filly broken in at Stratford before sending her to Danny Frye in North Canterbury. Unfortunately, Frye was unable to devote time to her after his daughter, Ashley, was injured in a race fall in March last year, but suggested Woodsford.
‘‘He's done an excellent job and I get on with him like a house on fire.''
The Bruces now have four horses with Woodsford.
Miss Seton Sands' next start is down the Trentham chute in the group 1 Telegraph over 1200m on January 16.
Woodsford decided to give the mare a trial at Motukarara on December 15 to ensure she did not lose fitness after her third in the Stewards.
‘‘She takes a bit - you've got to keep her up to the mark, or otherwise she gets away on you,'' Woodsford said.‘‘She probably just didn't have enough killer instincts in the Stewards. She just needs a few races against good open-class horses to get that little bit.
‘‘She'll just go straight to the Telegraph now. She'll be down in the weights and has a big advantage over a lot of them weight-wise.''
The race was delayed for 10 minutes after Querer's rider, Courtney Barnes, was kicked by Sucre behind the starting gates.
Querer was brought back to the birdcage to be resaddled, and Kevin Kalychurun replaced Barnes, who was taken to Dunedin Hospital to have her ankle checked. Barnes will not ride at Timaru today.
