If you rewind two years, Mark Twain’s camp was elated with a ballot waiver into the Melbourne Cup.

Merely six months post his Roy Higgins (2600m) conquest at Flemington, dreams dissolved after Mark Twain incurred a tendon problem en route to 2024 spring.

This Saturday brings Mark Twain back to the Flemington meet he mastered two years earlier.

Group 1 spoils in the Australian Cup (2000m) replace Melbourne Cup hopes this go-around.

His sophomore start for Phillip Stokes arrives Saturday, off a bold third in Flemington’s Blamey Stakes (1600m) on March 24.

Mark Twain then galloped lightly in a Flemington jump-out, with Stokes favouring a fresh approach to his races.

“Four weeks between runs with a jump-out in between, I feel that’s the best way to have him, fresh with three weeks being the minimum,” Stokes said.

“It’s a hard race, but the favourite (Birdman) was the one that beat us (last time), and we can only improve and I think the Flemington 2000 (metres) is ideal.

“He ticks a lot of boxes, but we need to see it again, and I’m sure we will because we’ve been very happy with his work.

“He’s very relaxed and happy, so we go their quietly confident.”

Under prior trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood, Mark Twain hit and ran to victory in the Roy Higgins two years ago.

Injury break behind him, a New Zealand appearance led to frequent Melbourne starts with subpar showings.

“After his issues, he may not have come up last prep, and they were racing him every two weeks,” Stokes said.

“The prep previous to that, he was going a lot better, and I noticed they were spacing his runs a lot more and he was racing well.

“He was working well leading into his first-up run and I tipped him to a lot of people, saying to have something each-way on him.

“We know he’s a good horse when he’s right, so let’s hope he’s somewhere near his best.”

Decisions on the stayers next venture hinge on Saturday’s Flemington display, per Stokes.

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