Emma Stewart will have a strong presence in the Victoria Derby and Victoria Oaks finals at Melton on Saturday night.
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Her Cardigan stable withstood another powerful interstate and New Zealand challenge to claim two heats of the three-year-old classics at Ballarat Pacing Cup night on Saturday.
Maajida ($1.30 favourite) captured an Oaks heat, while Pacifico Dream ($3.50 favourite) took out a derby heat.
Each was first-up since the Breeders Crown series in August.
Maajida stretched her winning sequence to eight to stamp herself as a major contender for another age feature race. She will be joined by stablemate Amelia Rose in the final.
Stewart will be represented by Mach Dan, Mirragon and Pacifico Dream in the derby final.
Unfortunately the stable's star 2yo of last season and an early favourite for the Derby, Be Happy Mach, failed the qualify.
Stewart's biggest threat in the Oaks will come from New Zealand duo Stylish Memphis ($1.50 favourite) and Dr Susan ($5.60), which finished first and second in the other heat.
The other derby heats went to Queensland's Governor Dujon ($1.50 favourite) for trainer Grant Dixon and now NSW-based former New Zealander Line Up ($30.50) for trainer-driver Anthony Butt.
Burrumbeet trainer will also have a presence after qualifying Soho Gloria Jane (Oaks) and Soho Hamilton Derby.
Snake Valley's Damien Burns also put Youraremy Sunshine in the Derby final after another tough effort.
VETERAN trainer Jim O'Sullivan turned back the clock when unhoppled Neanger Guy ($7.80) saluted in the last event on Cup Night, the PETstock Assist Pace.
Once based in Ballarat, O'Sullivan won two Ballarat Pacing Cups. Inter Dominion champion My Lightning Blue scored in 1987 and multiple country cups winner Quite Famnous saluted in 1990.
While O'Sullivan was also in the cart on those occasions, this time that task went to his daughter Shannon, who is establishing herself as one of Victoria's most promising young drivers.
GREG Sugars took training honours on the night.
As well as snaring the Ballarat Pacing Cup on AGs White Socks, he had the reins on Maajida in a Victoria Oaks heat.
THIS year is not the first time NZ trainer Greg Hope has tasted success on Cup night.
He combined with reinsman Ricky May and top flight squaregaiter Monbet to take out an Australasian Trotting Championship heat back in 2016.
