Samantha Wynne could be the pride of the South if she guides Miss Three Stars to a third straight win at Riccarton tomorrow.
The diminutive Irish jockey has been aboard the Tommy Beckett-trained mare for her biggest wins, including last year's Riverton Cup.
She was back on board again this autumn for the successful defence of the Riverton Cup, before backing up at Riverton a fortnight ago for another win.
Tomorrow's target - the group 3 Canterbury Gold Cup - is clearly her toughest since she took on the country's best in the Livamol Classic at Hastings in October, but Wynne could not be happier with the 6yr-old going into the 2000m feature.
"It's a very good field, but I couldn't be any happier with the way she is coming into it,'' Wynne said.
"Her lead-up runs she felt super. And she produced it on the day it was needed [the Riverton Cup]. Even the last day I rode her at Riverton, she just felt amazing.''
The mare, raced by the Three Star Syndicate which includes patrons of the Mosgiel Tavern, had won seven of her 33 starts but was only getting stronger as the years go on, Wynne said.
"She's definitely better [than 12 months ago],'' Wynne said.
"She had a good long spell and Tommy told me she's just massive in behind now and got a lot stronger now. It's in her breeding to improve as she gets older. She looks amazing and she's really thriving at the right time.''
Miss Three Stars will need to be at her peak though.
Scapolo lugged 61kg to finish a brave seventh at Riccarton last week, just a length behind the winner, Tommy Tucker, but drops back to 59kg along with the other geldings in the race under the weight-for-age scale.
Miss Three Stars and the two other mares will carry 59kg.
"Scapolo went a massive race under the high weight last week, so he will be hard to run down, but I won't be far behind him - I'll be stalking him.''
The mare has won twice at Riccarton and, while she is yet to place over the 2000m, her two wins at Riverton this autumn were over 2147m, less than a furlong further.
The pair will jump from the third barrier from the outside from the 2000m mark, but that does not worry Wynne much.
"The rail is back in the true position so everyone gets a chance and I don't think it will matter where you are. But she loves coming down the outside of them, so hopefully she'll be doing that in the finish.''
Wynne predicts Poetic Affair will improve on her ninth last week when she takes on the fillies in the listed Warstep Stakes.
"I galloped her this morning - she feels really good and is a really forward type of filly,'' Wynne said.
"She was a bit fresh last week and pulled hard a little bit but has improved a lot from the run. The trip is more up her alley than the mile last week.''
Choux Mania (race 3) is one to watch when the half-sister to Jimmy Choux debuts in the 2yr-old 1000m.
"She'll improve with the run and is one to follow.''
