The Written Tycoon filly Coolangatta and the Sebring colt Sejardan have been the benchmark two-year-olds since winning the Gimcrack Stakes and Breeders' Pate respectively at Randwick last October.
They will carry the bulk of punter's money in Saturday's $5,000,000 Longines Golden Slipper at Rosehill Gardens
Sejardan's trainer Gary Portelli has an able backup in the Rebel Dane filly Fireburn.
Following a troubled fourth on debut at Warwick Farm, when she clipped heels and became unbalanced, Fireburn's form has been impeccable.
She reeled off three consecutive wins at Randwick, culminating with a fast-finishing triumph in the Group II Sweet Embrace Stakes.
The Laurel Oak colour-bearer was born and raised at Steve Grant's Silverdale Farm, and Grant has plenty riding on Fireburn's shoulders.
Grant and Ken Lowe are principal owners of Rebel Dane, who will be in search of a new home in New South Wakes this spring after five seasons in Victoria.
From her sire's second crop of 26 live foals, Fireburn is the first foal of the Think Big Stud-bred Mull Over.
Purchased by Laurel Oak Bloodstock P/L (FBAA) for $22,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, Mull Over won a 1600m maiden at Newcastle from 11 starts.
The daughter of So You Think had an extensive rap sheet with the stewards, Including respiratory noise in running and proving difficult to settle.
Mull Over is a half-sister to Nathan Tinkler's stakes-winning Galileo (IRE) mare Galizani, out of the royally related Zabeel mare Zahani whose career highlight on the track came when second in a class one at Goulburn.
Zahani was, however, a daughter of the top-class mare Danarani.
A first-crop daughter of Danehill, Danarani made a winning debut at Canterbury in August 1994. She finished second to the ill-fated Aragen in the Group II Silver Shadow Stakes a fortnight later. The Bart Cumming-trained filly then reeled off three wins, the Listed Furious Stakes, Group II Tea Rose Stakes and Group 1 Flight Stakes.
Owned by Malaysian businessmen Ananda Krishnan and Dato Tan Chin Nam, the daughter of Danehill was being mentioned in the same breath as Tristanagh by her world-renowned trainer.
"She has tremendous potential, and I believe she is at least the equal of Tristanagh, the filly who took all before her in her three-year-old days," Cummings said after her Flight Stakes win.
"Don't forget Tristanagh won the Oaks at Flemington, and this is the race I want to win with Danarani."
It is also interesting to look back on what Cummings thought of the first crop of Danehill.
"I liked the look of the filly. I had a larger budget to buy her, and to purchase her for only $50,000 (at Inglis Easter) was good," he said
"I looked at all the Danehills that year, and it was hard to find any of them with scope and depth. The best Danehill I saw was at the Sanctuary Cove sale, and I was the underbidder. But this filly is the best Danehill I have seen since, and they both went for about the same price."
The Danehill Cummings missed out on was the Golden Slipper winner Danzero.
Danarani was destined not to win again after the Flight Stakes. She finished second to Northwood Plume in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas before clocking in sixth the Wakeful Stakes and fifth in the VRC Oaks.
Campaigned in elite company for the remainder of her career, Danarani placed in the Group 1 Australian Oaks and Group 1 Toorak Hcp before the pin was pulled.
A daughter of the stakes-winning Vaguely Noble mare Vaguely Modest, Danarani left little of note in five foals.
Vaguely Modest was a half-sister to the Champion Irish 2yo colt Danzatore.
A $1million son of Northern Dancer, Danzatore retired with much fanfare to Cambridge Stud, with a record of four wins from five starts in a carefully choreographed career for Vincent O'Brien.
Danzatore did quite well at Cambridge, siring the Group 1 winners Key Dancer and Wonder Dancer before being sold to Spendthrift Farm, Kentucky. The son of Northern Dancer then made the short trip to Prestonwood Farms, where he sired arguably his most accomplished performer, Reraise.
Honoured as the 1998 champion sprinter after winning the Breeders' Cup Sprint, Reraise won eight of nine starts and earned $922,830.
Following his stint at Prestonwood, Danatore stood in Texas before his final home in New Mexico.
