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Giant galloper Largo Lad will be on trial for a Doncaster start in Saturday's Group Two Blamey Stakes at Flemington.
Giant galloper Largo Lad will be on trial for a Doncaster start in Saturday's Group Two Blamey Stakes at Flemington.
The leggy Encosta De Lago four-year-old has had a light Melbourne autumn carnival as leading trainer David Hayes has had the Doncaster in mind for him for some time.
However, securing a start in the $2 million 1600m Randwick feature on April 18 could be a problem for Largo Lad who is weighted to carry only 51kg and would need to win the Blamey to improve his prospects.
He is the lightest-weighted horse in the Blamey under the set-weights plus penalties conditions with 54kg.
"A high-speed race at a mile (1600m) at his third run in should be made to order for him," said Hayes who won the Blamey with The Fuzz last year and with Better Loosen Up in 1990 and 1991.
"And at the weight scale he comes in really well. He'd want to be winning or be very unlucky to warrant to continue on to the Doncaster.
"Otherwise he'll stretch him out in distance and go to Queensland for races like the Hollindale and the Doomben Cup."
The gelding, bought for a reported seven-figure sum in March 2008 after previously racing out of the John Ledger stable, has won twice for Hayes, both times when resuming.
The latest of those was when he won the Antler Luggage Handicap down the straight 1200m at Flemington on January 31, narrowly defeating Road To Rock.
"He's been a late maturer but he's starting to grow into himself and I think in the next six months he'll get there," Hayes said."
"I think he'll stay, but we're training him as a miler while he's still learning the caper."
Hayes is backing up Largo Lad following his 19th of 22 runners to Scenic Blast in last Saturday's Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington which he didn't really get into after drawing wide and wound up being beaten 7-1/2 lengths.
Chris Symons takes the ride on Largo Lad who has drawn well in barrier four in the 13-horse field.
The jockey was replaced by West Australian rider Jason Brown in the Newmarket after he was injured in a fall at Ballarat two days earlier.
Star Tasmanian Conqueror, chasing his sixth straight win, is the $6 favourite with TAB Sportsbet ahead of Carlyon Cup winner Time Matters at $6.50, Playwright ($7.50), last year's runner-up Barlinnie and Marching ($8) with Melbourne Cup placegetter C'est La Guerre next best at $8.50.
Largo Lad is at $13.