Avantage continued her strong juvenile form into her three-year-old season, winning two of her three starts, and her connections are hoping for her run of form to continue into the new season.

The rising four-year-old daughter of Fastnet Rock won the Gr.3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders’ Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings in September, and had a successful autumn campaign in Sydney, winning the Gr.3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill in her Australian debut before finishing third in the Gr.2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (1200m) at Randwick.

Trainer Jamie Richards is pleased with the way she has returned after her spell at Te Akau Stud and is excited about her prospects in spring.

“She’s coming up really well, she spelled well at Te Akau Stud after Sydney. She is not quite as forward as Melody Belle and Te Akau Shark, but she will trial at the end of July,” Richards said.

“She will have a couple of trials and then we will work it out from there. Whether she has a run in New Zealand as a lead-in to going to Melbourne or Sydney, we’ll just see how she trials.”

While there are plenty of options in Melbourne for Avantage, Richards admits the A$7.5 million prizemoney on offer for the Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill on November 2 is a big incentive to head to Sydney.

“There are a lot of nice fillies and mares races for her in Melbourne and there is also a very big carrot in Sydney now with the Golden Eagle,” he said.

“We’ll just leave it open at this stage, but there are a lot of nice races for a filly like her. I certainly believe she can be competitive in whatever she steps out in.”