David Hayes is upbeat about Black Caviar's close relation Sistonic making a spring carnival comeback from a minor throat operation.
Sistonic made an immediate racetrack impact with a 4-1/2 length win on debut at Sale in January before heading to Moonee Valley where she won a benchmark race for fillies by three-quarters of a length.
That win caused some controversy with both Hayes and stewards critical of Jye McNeil for easing her down towards the line.
Hayes, who trains in partnership with his nephew Tom Dabernig, then stepped the boom filly up to Group company in the Typhoon Tracy Stakes but the sprinter went too hard early in the race and weakened in the last 100m to finish fourth.
Sistonic was spelled after she failed in a Listed race at Flemington in March but Hayes said she was now back in pre-training and he had high hopes for her.
"She pulled up making a terrible noise and they thought they could help her with a wind op, and we did it," Hayes said.
"She looks big and strong and impressive as usual.
"We'll get her back into form and then target a black type race and then she's worth a fortune.
"With the wind problem she was pretty good, so we've fixed the wind problem."
He said Sistonic was likely to make her race return in late August to September.
Sistonic and the unbeaten retired champion Black Caviar are both by Bel Esprit while Sistonic's dam Danavia is a half-sister to Black Caviar's dam Helsinge.