Mossman made a flying start to February with talented filly Mosstiara at Ascot on Wednesday.

Making her Perth debut, she sat three-wide without cover and was still too strong in the Richards & Sons Hcp (1000m). “She’s hasn’t stopped improving since arriving here,” trainer Rob Harvey said. “She’s a quality filly and knuckled down in the straight after punching the breeze.”

Mosstiara (3f Mossman – Kentiara by Metal Storm) is raced by leading Sunspeed breeders Lex & Shirley Piper and is a half-sister to speed merchant Kencella who won 6 races in Sydney including the G3 Maurice McCarten Stakes at Rosehill.

The Pipers also sent the filly east, however, she didn’t acclimatize and returned home late last year. “I trained the dam Kentiara and her sister Kalatiara and they were both top-class fillies,” Harvey added. “I told Lex this filly has the same qualities as her dam – she digs deep and has an amazing constitution.”

Kentiara was a Listed winner of the Detonator Stakes and La Trice Classic at Ascot and Kalatiara beat the colts in the G2 WA Guineas before transferring Stateside to win the G3 Royal Heroine Stakes at Hollywood Park.

Canberra trainer Matt Dale is confident Mossman 2yo Mossman Gorge will win again in Canberra on Friday. He will be at prohibitive odds after bolting in first-up at Thoroughbred Park last month.

“We also nominated him for Randwick on Saturday but decided to stay at home,” Dale revealed. “Ideally, I would have liked to see him in a more pressured environment, especially if he’s to tackle races like the Inglis Classic and Black Opal Stakes.”

Mossman Gorge is from LR Gai Waterhouse Classic winner Lesmartre (Jugah) and Dale bought him for $90,000 at the 2016 Inglis Classic Sale.

Stablemate Super Star Bob will travel to town for another TAB Highway Hcp at Randwick on Saturday.  Dale is setting the unbeaten Mossman 3yo for the LR Canberra Guineas on February 19.

Tasmanian star Admiral is another Mossman who will be at short odds to defend his LR Thomas Lyons Stakes (1400m) crown at Elwick on Sunday. He was narrowly beaten in the 2015 edition and won it last year as the $1.10 favourite.

Admiral has a decided advantage at weight-for-age and is coming off a winning hat-trick in the Conquering Stakes, Tasmanian Stakes and UBET Stakes.