Four flying fillies have Ken Kelso kicking up his heels.
Kelso and his wife Bev have welcomed back into work the quality quartet of Bounding, Xanadu, Fix and Pussy O'Reilly ahead of spring features.
"They all came in about a month ago and they are all going really well," Kelso said.
While Bounding has Group One sprint targets in Australia, the other trio have domestic Group One aims, at least initially.
Xanadu has enjoyed another successful season, claiming Group success in the Windsor Park Plate at Hastings last spring, as well as finishing second in the Gr. 1 Haunui Farm Classic at Otaki and fourth in the Gr. 1 NRM Sprint at Te Rapa.
"She's back in work and going well. She'll probably kick off in the Foxbridge Plate and follow the same path to Hastings," Kelso said.
Xanadu finished third in the Gr. 3 Foxbridge Plate in 2012 before finishing second to Ocean Park in the Gr. 1 Makfi Stakes at Hastings and third in the Windsor Park Plate, while last year she was second to Postmans Daughter in the Foxbridge Plate before failing in the Makfi and bouncing back to win the Windsor Park Plate.
"The owners would like to race her on but if her form doesn't warrant it, they will serve her in the spring and then give her a last go through till the end of summer," Kelso said."The Windsor Park Plate is probably her best go again. There's a chance she could go to Australia if her form warrants it. It would be nice to get Australian black-type for her."
The $70,000 weight-for-age Foxbridge Plate (1200m), at Te Rapa on August 16, is also the likely starting point for Pussy O'Reilly, with Kelso expecting much more of the mare next season.
"She'll kick off in the Foxbridge and then we'll look at the Makfi with her," Kelso said.
Kelso was also expecting a much-improved season from last season's filly of the year Fix, whose form was a shadow of its best, not helped by her contracting a virus.
"Fix has come back enormous. She just never improved from three to four but she's had a good spell and she's the one I'm probably most happy with. But I don't want to rush her or put too much pressure on her early, so she might not get to Hastings, though she'll certainly be nominated."
