Peter Snowden is cautious about pressing forward with Touristic in Thursday’s Grafton Cup (2350m), with dry conditions potentially derailing the gelding’s campaign.

Touristic came within a neck of winning the same race last year and had been aimed at a return to Grafton this winter, but the current good-rated track has left Snowden hesitant to commit.

“I’ve been planning to take him up, but the dry weather might force a rethink,” Snowden said. “He prefers it softer, and there hasn’t been much rain around.”

Despite a long campaign that began in January, the six-year-old is thriving and continues to train strongly. His win in the Lord Mayors Cup (2000m) stands out this prep, and he was again strong late when fourth in the McKell Cup (2000m).

“He’s an older horse that enjoys what he’s doing,” Snowden said. “He looks terrific and doesn’t show any signs of needing a spell.”

Ciaron Maher is also considering options for Glory Daze, who has been entered in both the Grafton Cup and a 2000m event at Flemington.

The gelding, who won at Randwick on a heavy track, has shown form on both surfaces but remains better suited on rain-affected ground.

“He ran great on a dry surface last start, but we prefer to avoid firm ground if we can,” said Maher’s assistant Johann Gerard-Dubord. “We’ve kept another option open at Flemington in case we decide to stay south.”

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