Saturday's listed Winter Cup (2400m) at Rosehill may be too soon for Saunter Boy but Melbourne Cup-winning syndication Australian Bloodstock believe the import can eventually give them another shot at the $8 million race that stops a nation.
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The Kris Lees-trained Saunter Boy was three-lengths fourth to The Candy Man at the Gold Coast on May 18 in his Australian debut.
The six-year-old gelding's previous start was third in a listed 2800m race in France last October.
Hunter-based Australian Bloodstock won the 2014 Melbourne Cup with Protectionist and they target the race each year with proven imports. Director Luke Murrell said Saunter Boy was bought as a Caulfield-Melbourne Cup prospect.
"He's a good, tough horse," Murrell said. "I don't think he's in the class of [Brisbane Cup winner] Sixties Groove but they said his work's been good and he's one who needs a little bit of time to acclimatise.
"He's more of a 2400 to two-mile horse so I think they will be too good and too sharp for him tomorrow but in three runs' time I reckon he could beat them all."
Lees and Australian Bloodstock, who have Star Reflection and Articus also in at Rosehill, will chase a group 1 start for Pecans at Ipswich on Saturday.
Pecans will contest the listed Gai Waterhouse Classic (1350m) for fillies and mares.
"She's on trial for the Tatt's Tiara next week," Murrell said. "If she ran well here, we'd definitely back her up."
He said Princess Posh, which stewards scratched from the Stradbroke Handicap, had worked strongly on Wednesday and was on track for the Tatt's Tiara.
Lees has High Opinion in the Ipswich Cup. He chases more cups Sunday with Our Gravano (Wauchope) and Powerline (Muswellbrook).
