Rival conditioner Tom Charlton allows that the George Ryder Stakes shapes as a fight for seconds should Autumn Glow present at Rosehill in top nick.
Not so much, though, does he expect that dynamic in the Doncaster Mile (1600m) if the glamour mare veers toward it beyond Saturday.
Linebacker and Yorkshire represent Charlton in this weekend’s Group 1, spotting 2kg to Autumn Glow in weight-for-age terms.
Per Charlton, the scale leaves Chris Waller’s ace nearly unbeatable on her mission for 11 in a row, her consistent level likely confining others to second-best efforts.
“I can’t be definitive with that, but if she’s on her normal game, it probably is,” Charlton said.
“As we know with horses, that’s not always the case, but we’re realistic about the challenge at set weights.
“Perhaps if we meet her in the Doncaster we might have more favourable conditions to give us our best chance of beating her.”
They lighten to 53kg heading into next month’s Doncaster Mile (1600m), with Autumn Glow shouldering 56.5kg for a key 6.5kg turnaround.
Destination Doncaster beckons for the geldings, Charlton forecasting improvement from Linebacker Saturday post his 1-1/2 length reversal to Joliestar at first outing in the Canterbury Stakes (1300m).
“He didn’t jump as well as he can. He ended up a bit further back in what was a dash home,” Charlton said.
“But all-in-all, it was a very good run. A run with a lot of merit and if he’d got the first hundred metres a bit more clinical, he would have been right in the finish.
“We want to see a similar run second-up. Top three would be great.”
Fifth for Yorkshire in the race proved strong, racing prominently despite a campaign-starting injury enforcing a week’s postponement on his return.
“To see him put in that effort and only be beaten a couple of lengths was really creditable,” Charlton said.
“Again, we want to see another strong performance and then third-up into the Doncaster.”
Only Charlton’s name graces the entries for Linebacker and Yorkshire this weekend, after John O’Shea drew a four-month term Tuesday from Racing NSW stewards citing improper vet interactions tied to Bev’s Nine’s controversial Rosehill scratch last month.
O’Shea will seek to overturn it with a stay application.
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