Hunter connections are weighing up a Caulfield Cup run for Big Duke over a return to the St Leger Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The eight-year-old Australian Bloodstock import was fourth in the 2017 Melbourne Cup (3200m) for now banned Victorian trainer Darren Weir after winning the St Leger (2600m).
It was the most recent win for the stayer, which has since regained form under Newcastle trainer Kris Lees to run a fast-finishing fifth in the group 1 Metropolitan on October 5.
Big Duke is nominated for the $500,000 St Leger but he is also set to make the field for the $5 million Caulfield Cup (2400m) on the same day.
Lees and Hunter-based syndicators Australian Bloodstock have $9 hope Mustajeer in the Caulfield Cup, and Big Duke could join the Ebor Handicap winner in the race despite earlier indications he would head to Sydney.
Australian Bloodstock co-director Luke Murrell said talks were ongoing about where Big Duke would go ahead of a final decision on Tuesday.
"The Caulfield Cup mightn't be as hard as it first looks, in terms of earning potential," Murrell said.
"The St Leger is not normally a big numbers race, but you wake up hearing there's huge noms and it looks a very similar race to The Metropolitan, so I don't know how much different grade-wise it is.
"It's going to be where we can get the biggest cheque, and to be fair, he's going really good and you want to capitalise when he is."
Lees was heading to Melbourne on Monday to oversee Mustajeer's final work at Caulfield on Tuesday morning ahead of Saturday's race.
The premier Newcastle trainer will be at Randwick on Saturday when In Her Time attempts to defy the odds in the $14 million The Everest (1200m).
The seven-year-old mare, which will race first-up from a spell, was on the last line of betting with the TAB at $21 ahead of Tuesday night's barrier draw on Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The two-time group 1 winner was seventh in the Everest last year on heavy going but a dry track is expected on Saturday.
She will have her final hit-out for the race on Tuesday at Newcastle.
AAP reports: Star mare Sunlight is ready for a peak performance in the Everest and also has the Sydney weather on her side.
Sunlight has been back and forth to Melbourne after wet weather prompted trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy to miss The Shorts at Randwick last month.
She instead ran in the Moir Stakes at The Valley, running home strongly for third before winning the Gilgai Stakes at Flemington.
She has returned to Sydney and worked well on Monday morning before going for a swim at Botany Bay.
With the chance of rain on Wednesday but mostly clear and sunny for the rest of the week, the Everest should be run on a good-rated Randwick track.
"She's finally tightened up and looks to be at her peak now," Calvin McEvoy said.
"We've just got to cruise through the week and pray to the weather Gods that the rain doesn't come. And it's looking pretty positive.
"We couldn't be happier with how she's going. She's in fantastic order.
"But we just know she's a little less effective on those soft and heavy tracks.
"She's not useless. She has run third in a TJ Smith and third in a Slipper on those tracks but her key is her speed and wet tracks dull speed."
Santa Ana Lane made his season return in the Gilgai when he came from last to finish second.
"Obviously Santa Ana Lane's run was incredible and if he takes the right improvement first-up to second-up he'll be hard to beat," McEvoy said.
"But we did beat him on the same weight scale that we're going to be meeting him at, over the same distance.
"It's a great field and we're looking forward to the contest."
Meanwhile, Murrell said Agent Pippa, which won last Saturday at Randwick, would target the group 3 Begonia Belle Stakes (1100m) at Flemington over the Melbourne Cup carnival.