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By Ray Hickson Trainer Jason Coyle is under no illusions about the task facing his striking grey mare White Moss at Randwick on Saturday but is adamant she’s a stakes winner in waiting. White Moss, a last start midweek winner at Canterbury, would appear to have her work cut out against Group 1 performers like Dixie Blossoms and Daysee Doom in the Group 3 $150,000 The Nivison (1200m) but she has conditions to suit. Coyle said he has plenty of respect for Ron Quinton’s mares but said the fact they are coming back from a mile and his mare is stepping up from 1100m plays in her favour. “It’s a massive test against two of the form mares in NSW,’’ Coyle said. “I’m not going to underestimate their ability or Ronny’s to prepare them for the day. “But she’s progressed through her grades really well timing wise and at this stage it is a nice testing ground.’’

Everyone loves a grey! White Moss in the parade for race 7 at Canterbury pic.twitter.com/47bjnzVaHG

— Ray Hickson (@ray_hickson) October 4, 2017

White Moss is a half-sister to a very promising mare of a few years back called White Sage who had her racing career cut short through injury after just seven starts. They are both owned by the Esplin family and White Sage won her first five starts, including a win over Terravista in the 2013 Festival Stakes. With her first-up win at Canterbury, White Moss took her record to four wins from seven starts. “White Sage had a stack of ability and hopefully we can cuddle this mare through and get into some nice races as well,’’ Coyle said. “She’s obviously shown she has come back in good order. We thought we’d probably lead (first-up) but the inside two pushed up and made her work a little bit. “The main thing was she was kept in her comfort zone although she covered ground and it showed in the end as she gave a good kick. “It was a midweek win but it was a solid performance so given the carnival is about to finish up in Sydney it was a nice opportunity to test her in that grade.’’

Coyle said White Moss will only have a light preparation in the spring and that could include a hit and run mission to Melbourne. But he has his eye on the autumn and winter carnivals with the Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) the ultimate aim. Coyle is kicking off stablemate Siren’s Fury’s preparation in the Nivison but his expectations aren’t as high for her first-up run. The mare was stakes placed during The Championships and in Brisbane but is yet to win below 1350m. “You’d expect 1200m would be well short of her best, my gut says she’s a miler,’’ he said. “If she can be hitting the line strongly she will have done her job and be in for a nice preparation.’’ Sweet Serendipity, the gelding Coyle says has a "girl’s name’’, has his second run back in the Jem Computer Systems Handicap (1200m). The seven-year-old, who Coyle said was originally going to be named Serendipity but ended up needing a prefix that has resulted in him being assumed by most to be a mare, ran fourth to Kaepernick when resuming at Warwick Farm earlier this month. “He went super first-up and the form was franked with the winner running a good race in the Sydney Stakes,’’ he said. “He always takes a couple of runs to come to hand, there’s a couple of benchmark races over the next six to eight weeks for him. Hopefully he’s in for a win over summer.’’ Check out the fields and form for Royal Randwick on Saturday