Charismatic Sydney owner Max Whitby might not get the three runners in Saturday's Listed Ryder Stakes at Otaki that he'd hoped for, but that doesn't mean he's any less optimistic that he can win.

Whitby races Ryder candidates Stella Di Paco, Lucky Edie and Good Lookin' Gal, though the latter is the first ballot for the race and uncertain to make the trip away.

"The prospects of her getting a start aren't looking too good and it's a six or seven-hour drive down there so we're just discussing our options of sending her down," Whitby said on Thursday.

"I've been out to Graham Richardson's this morning and the filly looks fit and ready to race. Having three in the race would have been the dream story and it would be disappointing but when you've good two other good chances, you can't get too down."

Whitby booked his flights to New Zealand well in advance of this weekend's two-year-old feature on the advice of Stella Di Paco's co-trainer Stephen Autridge and it's that filly he rates as his top seed.

"Stella was the one I came for. Stevie's had her lined up for this one for quite some time," Whitby said.

"Then Lucky Edie came out and bloused them on debut and I sat down with Graeme Rogerson in Sydney this week and he told me he was putting him in the same race.

"I still have Stella on top. She's drawn wide in 12 but Stephen's happy with her and I had a few people at a function I was at last night tell me it was no problem to be drawn wide there - Brent and Cherry Taylor, Sir Patrick Hogan and Garry Chittick - so I'm happy to listen to them."

Whitby bred Paco Boy filly Stella Di Paco but bought both Lucky Edie, whom he races in partnership with Gerry Harvey, and Good Lookin' Gal.

"Stella's a tiny thing, but she's got a good engine," he said.

"When Stephen Autridge can look over her chest to tie up the girth strap, she must be small."

Lucky Edie and Stella Di Paco share $8 fourth favouritism on the TAB's fixed-odds market behind the Lisa Latta-trained Miss Fi at $5, Stradivarius at $6.50 and Secret Spirit at $7.

"Lucky Edie has came along a bit quicker than we expected," Whitby said.

"I didn't really take much notice of her but I did watch her debut and the performance was very good."

Whitby has enjoyed terrific success in racing, most notably through Cox Plate winner Savabeel, who stands at Waikato Stud and has sired many of his current racing team.

Another promising two-year-old Whitby races is the Autridge-Jamie Richards-trained Duchess Kate, a daughter of Savabeel, while in Australia, his leading spring prospects include the Kris Lees-trained Savabeel colt Letsava Win and the Hawkes family-trained Snoopy.