Kim Waugh hopes a long, slow process with her imported stayer Sheniyan will lead to a Queensland carnival campaign, starting at Wyong on Thursday.
The six year old takes the first step towards a winter campaign in Queensland when he resumes in the HMA Techniplan Class 2 (1350m).
Sheniyan starts his fourth campaign for the Wyong based trainer since coming from France where he recorded three wins up to 2380m.
“He has taken a long time to acclimatize and settle in,” Waugh said.
“His biggest problem has been that has been a hyper active horse and you don’t want that in a stayer.
“Fortunately he seems a lot better and a lot more settled since coming back into work this time and I am really pleased with him.
“Brisbane is the target but there is no plan yet as to what races he will run in.
“Let’s get a couple of races out of the way here first, see how he is going then if he is going well enough then we will map out a program for him.”
Sheniyan is one of five horses that Waugh will start at the WYong meeting as she tries to break a frustrating run of minor placings.
She has had 13 minor placings but only three winners since the start of the year and hopes to turn that around.
Waugh will also start Ezi Pleased (John Kissick) in the HMA POGC Maiden, Dylan’s Rojo (Paul Hammersley) in the HMA Measurement Resources 3YO Maiden, Mi Lads Princess (Mitchell Bell) in the HMA Diamond Power Maiden and Harry Hotspur (Bell) in the same race that Sheniyan resumes in.
Ezi Pleased was found to have shifted a plate when fourth at Newcastle last month while Waugh has taken the blinkers off Dylan’s Rojo after he led then faded to run second to Spy Decoder here two weeks ago.
“He went too hard and hopefully, with the blinkers off, he will settle better,” Waugh said.
“He has been working well in them.”
Mi Lads Princess is having her first start and Waugh has an opinion of the filly.
“She is only three and only a little girl but I like her a lot,” Waugh said.
“Her trial was really good and later on I think she will develop into a really nice mare.”
Mi Lads Princess ran second to Prime Shadow in a trial on March 20, beaten only half a length.
Prime Shadow has a third at Canterbury and a second at Hawkesbury to her credit.
Harry Hotspur, a last start third at Wyong, will carry a tongue tie for the first time and Waugh said he had been working well with it on.
“He was getting his tongue back over the bit and I don’t like horses doing that,” she said.
A lot of interest will centre on the Scott Aspery trained Estonian Princess (Hugh Bowman), top weight in the HMA Geotechnical Systems Class 2 (1600m).
The filly is coming back in class from her last four runs, starting with the Magic Millions Guineas at the Gold Coast where she ran second to Sweet Idea, beaten only a length.
She was then given a freshen up before finishing 10th in the G2 Light Fingers at Randwick; fifth in the Listed Canberra Guineas and 13th in the G3 Keith Nolan Classic at Kembla Grange.
