Much is expected of Silla Regalis, a half sister to former champion Hong Kong sprinter Silent Witness, when she makes her long awaited debut at Scone on Monday.

The three-year-old was scratched from Kembla Grange last week due to the wet ground with trainer Paul Messara deciding to save her to run on her home track.

By Encosta de Lago out of Jade Tiara, Silla Regalis will start in the Attunga Stud Maiden Plate (1100m) with Christian Reith to ride.

“I don’t know if she will be as good as Silent Witness but she is a lovely filly with plenty of scope and plenty of ability,” Messara said.

“I guess we will find out in time if she measures up in any way to Silent Witness.

“We bought her as a yearling and the moment I saw her I loved her.

“She had a hoof problem as a two-year-old so we had to turn her out and let the hoof grow back but that might have been a blessing in disguise.

“She really grew and strengthened up and she has developed into a magnificent type.”

Messara paid $700,000 for Silla Regalis at the 2010 Australian Easter Yearling Sale when she was offered on behalf of Patinack Farm, which now owns Jade Tiara.

Silla Regalis is raced by a syndicate headed by Messara’s father John’s Arrowfield Stud.

She has had the experience of three barrier trials including a win on Randwick’s Kensington track last month.

“She has been ready to trial and go to the races for a while but we have not been able to get a good track for her,” Messara said.

“We know we are going to get a good surface at Scone so we decided to let her kick off her career at home then she can go to a mid-week race in Sydney and we will take it from there.”

Silent Witness, who led Black Caviar out for Saturday’s Orr Stakes at Caulfield, was bred at Ian Smith’s Edinburgh Park Stud at Taree and sold for just $39,000 as a yearling.

He won 18 races from 28 starts including his first 17 in succession and was rated the world’s best sprinter from 2003 to 2005.

Silent Witness returned to Australia following his retirement from the track to spend his days at Living Legends in Melbourne, home to other great horses such as Apache Cat, Better Loosen Up and Might And Power.