Five fillies represented Tulloch Lodge in last weekend's Silver Shadow, won for the yard by Autumn Ballet so the gauntlet has been thrown down to the boys.
The quartet of colts are split between the Group 3 $250,000 Smithfield RSL San Domenico Stakes (1100m) and CMNF Up & Coming Stakes (1300m) where each can put themself on the Golden Rose radar.
The stable won 34 two-year-old races last season and while that guarantees nothing, Adrian Bott said it's a good platform to start a spring carnival with.
"They've still got to go on and be effective at this level at three but we've got some horses that are capable of presenting in these races,'' Bott said.
"They all look in good shape and hopefully they can progress nicely for us.
"Two of them are coming out of a good run in the Rosebud. Introducing and The Instructor are both open to a bit of improvement off those runs and I thought they were good."
The benchmark from the stable is arguably Red Resistance, who split Cylinder and Militarize in the Todman after winning his first two starts, and he'll appear for his second trial at Randwick on Friday. He's $15 in TAB's all-in Golden Rose market.
The Instructor and Introducing are both on the $51 line for the Group 1 and have the small advantage over stablemate Butch Cassidy, going into the San Domenico, of a run under their belts from finishing third and second respectively in the Rosebud two weeks ago.
Bott said The Instructor, early $4.60 favourite with TAB on Wednesday, will be better for his first Sydney start where he sat outside Introducing and stuck his head in front 100m out before just weakening late.
"He loomed up there and just peaked on the run late and he will improve nicely off the back of that,'' he said.
As for Introducing, Bott said his Rosebud effort to fight back and only just go down to Tiz Invincible says he's gone up a notch.
"I thought he did everything right,'' he said.
"He was making a few mistakes as a young horse last campaign and I think now he's ready to go on with it and be effective in that class."
Butch Cassidy had his first two starts in Victoria including a dominant Mornington win at his second start, before being thrown in the deep end, and showed his readiness when he stretched Kandinsky Abstract in a recent trial.
"On debut he ran a big race and broke his maiden nicely, his form after that tapered off,'' he said.
"I think you can forgive him for a couple of those runs. He seems to be back well and has trialled up nicely."
Of the quartet, Les Vampires is the shortest in the Golden Rose market at $26 and the early betting, $3.60 with TAB on Wednesday, expects him to handle the rise to Group 3 and back up his maiden Warwick Farm win earlier this month.
The colt was a little wayward at his debut but corrected his ways straight away and Bott said the Up And Coming is a good opportunity for him to consolidate.
"He won very well at Warwick Farm last start, he's a nice progressive type of horse,'' he said.
"There's still more upside, that little bit of extra trip will suit and he's in good order."
