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Half-sister to Blue Diamond winner to debut in Quezette Stakes.
Glentree Thoroughbreds, like many Australian breeders, has long been in awe of the potency of Japanese bloodlines and Saturday's Caulfield meeting will mark the start of a new dawn for the farm.
Bruce Wilson's Modewarre operation will pull the covers off high-priced yearling Lomandra in the $200,000 Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1100m).
The three-year-old filly is by a stallion Australians know well in Not A Single Doubt, but out of the Japanese mare Vasilissa, which makes her a half-sister to Blue Diamond Stakes winner Tagaloa.
That was a major factor in the $900,000 price tag the Arrowfield Stud-raised filly drew at last year's Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, but one Glentree manager Luke Simpson knew they would have to pay.
"She's pretty much the first investment we've made in those Japanese bloodlines, particularly on the female side," he said.
"We thought it was a good chance for us to tap into that international side of things, mixed with one of the best stallions that we've seen (in Australia) in the last decade or so.
"That was a hook for us. We know that the Japanese have a lot of stamina and toughness and we thought that would bode well, particularly with the cross of Not A Single Doubt.
"And, being a half-sister to a Blue Diamond winner, all the stars aligned for us."
Lomandra will become the second to race from Vasilissa, who won at 1800m in Japan. She is by Heart's Cry, sire of Cox Pate winner Lys Gracieux, out of the Pivotal mare Penkenna Princess, who was a Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed in England.
Vasilissa travelled to Australia carrying the foal who turned out to be Tagaloa (Lord Kanaloa) and visited Not A Single Doubt her first two breeding seasons at Arrowfield. After giving birth to a filly who died before getting to the track, she produced Lomandra.
The only other product she has on the ground is the filly she had last spring by Snitzel, the stallion she again visited last year.
Lomandra has done most of her preparations out of the Hawkes Racing Sydney stable, having trialled at Rosehill in January before a spell. This campaign includes a 740m Warwick Farm synthetic trial win and a second to dual G2 placegetter Lady Laguna on a Heavy 8 over 900m at Rosehill.
"Team Hawkes have been patent with her, having her in and out, in and out with just slow, progressive preparations but they have got her up to the mark with a couple of trials and we're ready to head to the races," Simpson said.
"We're under no illusions (on Saturday), it's a pretty hot field and there's some well-credentialled fillies in it. She's certainly in the deep end, but she'll get her chance and it will be a learning curve either way."
Lomandra will be ridden by Jye McNeil in the Quezette Stakes, in which she has drawn barrier seven in the field of 14, which also includes the speedy Ebhaar, blueblood Waltz On By, G3 winner Miss Roseiano, Talindert Stakes winner I'Mlovin'Ya and the unbeaten Queenslander She'Sgottheboom.
She will be one of a couple of key players on P.B. Lawrence Stakes Day for Glentree, whose colours also be carried by Sinawann in the $200,000 Regal Roller Stakes
The son of Kingman will be first-up since failing in February's G1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) and Simpson hopes Saturday's 1200m Group 3 will be a stepping-stone to Group 1 success in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) and Toorak Handicap (1600m) later in the preparation.
